SIGE
by NakanoHana
Summary: Axel is hired at a mysterious institution where Roxas is an unhappy patient. But the plain, white walls of S.I.G.E. belie the insidious nature within. As dark secrets are uncovered, can Roxas and Axel make it out alive? R&R, rated for language and themes
1. Chapter 1

He woke up, blinking hazily at the cold walls around him. Why was it always white?

Roxas sat up slowly in his bed, shaking the usual weariness of the morning as he looked around. The room was cool, even the comforter and sheets that enveloped him seemed cold and boring. The colors of the bed, floor, walls, _everything _was some shade of white or grey; even for his clothes, he wore simple white pajamas, just like everyone else who lived there. Roxas gazed briefly and blankly around the room, and finding no one there, he shut his eyes and let out a small sigh.

_Is a little brightness or color too much to ask? That wouldn't hurt anyone..._

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, from which a brown-haired woman in a white nurse uniform entered quickly. Her hair was pulled loosely in a bun behind her head, and she wore a bright smile that looked utterly plastered on. Like everything else in his world, she seemed fake, cold and blank as the stone floor. And, as per usual, dull and white...

"Good morning, Roxas. It's time for your daily check up, if you'll please follow me."

Roxas answered blankly. "Yes, Ms. Kurokami." He didn't feel the need to be overly pleasant; it wasn't a part of his day he particularly liked, and the nurse seemed to have enough fake enthusiasm for the both of them. But he'd go with it just the same, as long as he got it over with quicker. Shots were something he'd like to be done with as quickly as possible.

He followed his attendant out and down the hall, walking at a brisk pace through the cold, grey halls of the Shiromiya Institute of Genetic Experimentation, or S.I.G.E. as the official acronym. Roxas walked with his eyes lowered, paying little attention to the bland, familiar surroundings as Ms. Kurokami led him to the far right door down the hall. The sign above the door was old and worn, but the print was still dark and legible: Room 34. The bane of his existence.

Roxas sighed again, stepping through the door as his attendant held it open. Inside, the room was relatively clean and empty, the only exceptions being a small desk and cabinet in the corner next to a medium-sized covered operating table. There was some surgical equipment as well; pointy needles and knives that made the boy cringe every time he saw them. A silvery-blond haired man in a white lab coat sat at the desk with his back to them, scribbling furiously on a clipboard. When the door creaked closed the scratching pencil stopped and the the man turned around, a blank and unreassuring look on his face.

"Ah, Patient 13, right on schedule. Thank you, Ms. Kurokami, that will be all." The woman's fake smile widened, if that was even possible, and she bowed low before stepping out the door to wait in the hall.

The man turned to Roxas, glancing at his clipboard as he flipped over a few pages. "For your check up today, Roxas, I'll run a few scans, take a bit of blood, and then you'll be on your way. It's fair to assume I have your complete cooperation, am I right" Roxas nodded, sighing again. It's not like he had a choice in the matter anyway. No one did. The last time he'd witnessed someone refuse, he then had to watch them be forcibly held and even drugged before they went ahead with the procedures anyway. He shuddered faintly at the memory.

"Good, then if you'll please take a seat on the table, we can begin."

* * *

It was about an hour later when Vexen had finished with his examination, and once he was done, Roxas got up and went to the door, gently rubbing the sore spot on his arm from where he had had blood taken. He winced as he walked, glaring down at the developing bruise as if his stare alone could cause it to melt away. This procedure was always anything but pleasant, but today it felt like the doctor was really trying to hurt him or something. He was never particularly gentle, but Roxas had put up with it fine, like always. It was just something you had to learn in here. Let it blow past you...

The older man called his attention as he opened the door, his voice an almost perfect monotone. "A new S.I.G.E. employee will be working here as my assistant starting tomorrow. I want you on time and on your best behavior, is that clear, Roxas?"

Roxas looked back at him blankly, raising his eyebrows in a mixture of boredom and disbelief. He dared a sarcastic response.

"I didn't realize I was such a handful, doctor."

Vexen rolled his eyes at the sarcasm before returning them to his clipboard, once again scribbling madly. Roxas let out another soft sigh, before pulling the door shut behind him with a creak.

* * *

Ms. Kurokami led Roxas next to a large, white room in the R wing of the main building. The room looked like a mix between a small park and a cafeteria area, with a carpet that looked like grass covering every inch of what would be white stone tile. The walls were still white and tiled, but several trees were scattered about the room, their roots growing from small clay pots somewhat buried in the ground. A few people sat under the trees, admiring them, while other people walked to and fro, getting small trays of food from the station at the corner and sitting down on the artificial, rubbery "grass."

The door closed behind Roxas, leaving him to stand and stare for several minutes before he was approached by a cheerful blond girl in a white dress. She was one of the few people there who was his age; most other people seemed to be between thirties and forties.

Roxas smiled slightly. "Morning, Namine."

The girl smiled back at him brightly. "Hello, Roxas. I hope you're doing well today." She watched as he rubbed his arm absently, giggling. "I take it they went rough on you this morning. That's the way it goes sometimes, I guess."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "_Tell me about it_."

The two of them walked across the room to where a small sketchbook lay beneath a beautiful tree with shimmering, golden leaves. Roxas stopped, gazing at it silently for a while, lost in thought. To him, all the trees there were fake, even this one. It wasn't planted in the ground because there was no where to plant it here. It was just trying to take everyone's minds off the fact that they were here...

Namine continued walking, and sat down beneath the tree by her sketchbook.

"Isn't it pretty?" she asked. "I love this tree in particular. It's called an Aspen tree. It apparently symbolizes determination and over coming fear and doubt. It's also said that as long as the roots survive, even fire can't completely destroy it."

Roxas slowly smiled, reaching up to touch a leaf and roll it between his fingers. It had an almost leathery texture to it, but he could see and smell that it was real. "That's pretty cool, I guess." He then walked over and sat down beside her.

"So, draw anything interesting lately?" She blushed a bit, hiding her book behind her back. Roxas sighed. "_Come on, Namine. Let me see." _

Reluctantly she handed it over, and he flipped through the sketches, amazed at the realistic trees, fields, and flowers she had drawn. He smiled when he found one drawing that was obviously meant to be the two of them, but it was done in colorful globs and stick-figures. Namine smiled sheepishly. "I'm not too good at drawing people. You know that..."

Roxas laughed at that, and continued to flip through her sketches.

"These are fantastic, Namine. Best I've ever seen." It was a little white lie, but it made her happy. Because she was his only real friend here, Roxas felt it was his job to keep her spirits as high as possible. She always did the same for him, it seemed.

"I just wish they'd let you have better supplies than those cheap-ass crayons."

Namine smiled, still a bit embarrassed. "I'm glad you like them. And yeah, it would be nice if they gave me better pencils. But hey, you know the rules."

Roxas frowned, not looking up from the sketchbook. "Why is it that everything has to be so heavily sterilized? And we can only get certain things from the outside? Colored pencils and paint aren't going to hurt us."

Namine looked down sadly. "S.I.G.E. doesn't care about what we want. They're not here to entertain us; they're just trying to protect their investments."

Roxas's frown deepened. All he'd ever really know was this place; he'd been born and raised here, that's what they'd told him. He, Namine, everyone here were all just experiments, endorsed by some rich assholes who had too much time and money on their hands. Most of the time he could accept this as a fact of life, going about his daily business without really caring what happened, because there was nothing he could do about it. But there were some times when it all just made him so angry! What made them so different from people on the outside?

A soft hand settled itself upon his own, which he then realized he had curled into a fist. He was shaking lightly. Namine looked at him, the same sad expression as before, but a soft smile spread across her lips that cooled his anger. Of all the people he met, she was the one who he could talk to, the one who cared about him and treated him like a human being. Her smiles were never fake.

He couldn't help but smile back, even if it pained him.

"It's alright, Roxas. I have you as my best friend, and that's all I need to be happy." Her face genuinely lit up then. It warmed his heart.

"You're the one person here who's keeping me from going crazy, Namine."

Just then a light bell rang throughout the room, and both teens stood up and followed the crowd as the patients of S.I.G.E. walked back to their attendants and were led back to their rooms.

* * *

_Shit! _

Axel raced down the halls of the institute, hoping against hope he wouldn't be late for his first day of briefing. It was a real stroke of luck that he landed this job, and he really didn't want to get in trouble before his first real day.

Axel currently attended O13, one of the many small, generic universities in the district of Himura. He was a chemistry major, always having been interested in what sort of things made up people and the world around him. Not to mention he liked messing with bunsen burners. Fire in general was interesting to him; he loved to watch flames crackle and dance. Call him weird if you will...

Afraid that there wasn't much else to do with his major, he applied to the institute for a year internship, while he worked part-time at a local restaurant on the side for extra cash. He didn't really know what sort of experiments they tested at S.I.G.E., but when some good friends of his mentioned a possible career for him, he'd jumped at the chance to see what it was all about. Good old Demyx and Xigbar...

_Why does this place have to be so boring? _he thought to himself, his eyes glancing around a bit as he ran. Everything was either tiled in some way or just plain white. Not really the most welcoming atmosphere...

Axel turned the corner, grumbling to himself, when he almost collided with a young woman in a nurse's uniform. He stumbled back in time to avoid a collision, though he fell back onto the hard, cold stone floor with a thud.

"Ow..." Grumbling and cursing under his breath, he finally looked up. The woman looked flustered to say the least; her face just screamed high-strung and indignant, turning slightly red as she spoke.

"Young man, _please_ watch where you are going." Her voice cracked a bit each time she used a higher pitch. When he stared at her blankly for a few minutes more, she threw in an extremely irritable, "Can I help you with something, sir?"

_You can help me by digging that bug outta your ass. _

"No, that's alright. I'm fine, thanks, " he lied. The woman still looked annoyed, but a giggle from behind her quickly caught his attention.

Behind the woman was a young boy with spiky blond hair and shockingly blue eyes. He looked about 17, only a few years younger than Axel, although he was much, _much_ shorter. The boy tried to stifle his laughter, noticing the two pairs of cold eyes that settled on him, but he wasn't doing a very good job. Axel raised an eyebrow slightly, debating whether or not he should as the squirt what was so funny...

The woman rounded on him suddenly, grabbing his wrist and pulling him with her. She'd apparently forgotten about Axel, not looking at him at all as she passed.

"Come along now, Roxas."

The boy walked with her, although he was a few paces behind, more reluctant. He looked over his shoulder at Axel as he answered, "Yes, ma'am." He gave the redhead a small, sheepish smile, mouthing "nice one" as he was pulled around the corner and disappeared from sight.

Axel just stared at the place where they had disappeared.

_What the hell was all that about?_

He scratched his head slightly for a moment, but quickly dismissed the thought when he realized he was still running late. Even later now because of that bitch.

"Crap!"

With that motivation, he was soon up and running again.

After stopping a few S.I.G.E. employees for directions, all of whom came across as distracted or annoyed by his questions, he finally found the room marked #34. As he turned the handle, the door creaked open to reveal a small, almost empty room. A cold voice called from the corner.

"So, you're finally here are you, Mr. Kurami? Well, now that you've joined us here, I can get started. My name is Vexen Akuma, and you'll be working with me from now on."

Axel put on the best smile he could fake as he approached the older man.

_Great..._


	2. Chapter 2

Axel listened as patiently as he could while Vexen went over general rules and regulations. All outside contraband must be sterilized and approved by security. No unapproved food or drink may be given to the patients nor left in any of the rooms. Axel felt his face twitching slightly as he held back his exasperation.

_How the fuck do people live here? I'd sooner shoot myself than spend a night in this boring place. _

But who knows? This _was _just his first day, and maybe he'd be able to find something to peek his interest...eventually...hopefully... He sighed.

"Am I boring you, Mr. Kurami?"

Axel looked up quickly at his new boss, shaking his head with a casual smirk.

"No, sir. Don't worry, I got it."

Vexen went back to scribbling on his clipboard, not looking up again as Axel walked to the door. "Good. Then be sure to be here bright and early tomorrow and every Tuesday and Friday after that."

Axel closed the door behind him and sighed. It was _so good _to know that his free days would be so well spent, in a boring white building playing errand-boy for a bunch of self-centered assholes. That and his job at the restaurant would probably kill his grade point average. Classes at O13 were hard enough, and he was lucky to have a schedule that left two of his weekdays free.

_This internship thing better be worth it..._

* * *

The next day, Axel grudgingly dragged himself out of bed and somehow made it to work before 7 o'clock. Security stopped and checked him before he entered the building, also making sure that he threw away his half-eaten turkey sub. He grumbled a bit about wasting food, which was always blasphemy when you're a poor college kid, but he did as he was told.

Axel then headed back towards Room 34, which he found after another twenty minutes of running in circles and asking for directions.

Vexen didn't look up as he entered; the older man was mixing a few odd-looking liquids in a glass tube. After a few minutes he was bored of waiting for Vexen to notice him, so Axel stared at various things around the room absently. He watched Vexen work for a minute.

"I see you've arrived, Mr. Kurami. Good, there's work to be done."

Axel jumped as the voice jarred him from his thoughts, and looked over to see that Vexen was still scribbling on the old clipboard. He raised a hand, however, and pointed toward the cabinet beside him. "You can start by pulling out the equipment. I'm going to need the I.V. and the needle kit today, so set them out on the operating table. Then, I want you to go to the P wing and retrieve patient #13. His attendant is out for a week with the flu, so when I don't need your help you'll be following him."

He then pointed to the room ket beside him on the table. Axel moved to get the equipment as he faked another smile, though he knew Vexen wouldn't see it.

_Yay, babysitting. Oh well, maybe the patients are more interesting than the doctors and scientists here. They've certainly made me feel welcome so far..._

* * *

Roxas was awake in his room, but he would have preferred sleeping over _this _any day. He buried himself further in the blankets and rolled over to stare at the wall opposite the door, shivering as a cough wracked his body. He's heard from somewhere that his attendant had gotten the flu; well, he'd have to thank her later for passing it to him too.

_It's bad enough I'm bored outta my mind here. Now my body has to make me miserable too._

But what Roxas really had to worry about was quarantine. Sickness at the institute was always blown out of proportion, of course, because the experiments lived in such a sterile environment. Viruses and germs never reacted well with them. If a person got sick, and they didn't have to even be very sick, they were usually confined to a single room until their health improved. It was dark and scary, and the doctors would usually hook up the patient to a bunch of tubes and machines, constantly watching them and prodding them to make sure their immune systems wouldn't give out. Roxas had only ever been there once, being one of the healthier patients most of the time. But he dreaded it greatly, and hoped against hope that no one would notice his cough. That was really all it was, except for the slight flush of warmth he felt in his cheeks...

So consumed by worry and misery, Roxas didn't hear the door open or see the shadow fall across his bed. He closed his eyes, hoping that maybe he could sleep the little bug off and it would be n big deal...

Suddenly something jabbed him in the back lightly, and he shot up instantly, yelping loudly in surprise. He spun around and glared at the new person in the room, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as his breathing came harder. Even though it was dimly lit and the door had shut, he could make out the other figure all too well. It was the man from yesterday, the one with ridiculously spiky red hair and purple tattoos beneath his almost blazing green eyes...

"Sorry about that," the man chuckled warmly. "It's time to get up...?" After a short pause, Roxas blinked as the man moved closer, squinting at him in the low light.

"Wait...you're that kid from yesterday!"

The redhead seemed to find this even funnier, because he started laughing like an idiot. Roxas raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what to make of him just yet. First he snuck up on him and jabbed him, now he was laughing? It had hurt, too. He was extremely sensitive, especially because he was sick today. He grumbled slightly when the man reached over and ruffled his hair.

"Well, how do ya like that? I get stuck babysitting the brat who almost made me late yesterday!"

Roxas glared openly at him, swatting his hand away. "I'm not a brat! My name is Roxas!"

"Roxas, huh?" The man smiled widely. "Cool name. I'm Axel. Sorry again for the scare." He then reached out a hand for the boy to shake, giving him a friendly, if a little stupid grin.

At first the boy wanted to just smack him upside the head. But then, he had apologized after all. He was probably new; he acted so strange compared to the other employees there. But it wasn't a bad kind of strange.

Roxas smiled a little too, taking the large hand and shaking it slightly.

"It's okay, I guess. Sorry for laughing yesterday. I wasn't laughing at you. Ms. Kurokami always tries so hard to be very business-like; it was just so funny that you got her so riled! I've never seen her do that before!" He giggled to himself, as the redhead joined in.

"Yeah, that was pretty funny. Her face was all red, like a tomato."

"Redder than your hair!"

"Maybe." Axel then pointed a finger at his spiky red locks, adding proudly, "This color is one-hundred percent natural, by the way. But I guess I should get down to business here. I just started work, and apparently I'm gonna be your temporary assistant for the next couple of weeks."

Roxas grinned at him. "That's cool. It'll be nice to have someone else to talk to. I can't stand people that act so fake and happy all the time, and that pretty much describes everyone that works here."

"I get what you mean," Axel said, rolling his eyes a little. "Though that Vexen guy wasn't exactly a little ball of sunshine."

"He never is."

The two talked for a little while about nothing in particular, but inside, they were both feeling better about each other all the time. Roxas was happy to meet a new friend, someone who was decently relaxed and open with him, and Axel felt that same. He slowly felt his earlier fears dispelling. As long as one person here could make his job worth it, he'd make it through.

"So what do you like to-"

Axel was cut off as Roxas began to cough. It started out light, but became more violent towards the end, and the blonde's eyes shut tightly with a little bit of pain, as he waited for the fit to pass. Axel moved closer and patted his back soothingly, all the while looking worriedly at the boy.

"That doesn't sound good at all," he said finally, when Roxas sat up again. He blushed a little when Axel laid his hand on his forehead, feeling for a temperature. "You feel a bit warm, kid. Are you gonna be alright?"

Roxas shook his head to clear it, dislodging the hand as well. He gave Axel his best smile, trying to dispel those worries.

"Yeah, I heard Ms. Kurokami had the flu, and I think she gave it to me. It's okay, it's just this cough and my muscles feel a little achey. It's no big deal."

Axel still didn't seem convinced, however. "I don't know the policy yet...But maybe we should tell someone that-"

"No!"

Axel looked down at Roxas, shocked by the boy's sudden outburst. The blonde looked up at him, eyes almost frantic as they pleaded with him.

"Please don't tell Vexen! If he knows I'm sick, I'll be quarantined again and I swear I'll go crazy if that happens!" He looked down and away from Axel's eyes, feeling ashamed by the tears beginning to form in his own. "I don't want to be alone like that."

Axel was shocked; he didn't really know what to say. Would they really go that far with something like the flu? But then again, there had been epidemics before, in the past. These days, there were much better vaccines available to the general public, and Axel was almost certain that a multi-million dollar institute like this one would have access to it. So what was the issue?

But looking into Roxas's eyes, seeing the shaking, desperate fear in them made his stomach churn in an uncomfortable way. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder, feeling the sudden need to comfort him. No body else around here seemed like the nurturing type anyway.

"Okay, I won't tell them if it isn't serious. I just don't know all the procedures yet."

Roxas nodded shakily, slowly relaxing at that. It wasn't a promise to keep him from that terrible room, but the sincerity and care that he felt from Axel made his heart flutter warmly.

Banishing those thoughts, as he brought his voice back under control, Roxas smiled up at the older boy.

"Thanks, Axel. I'm sorry. I can be such a baby sometimes." He blushed, slightly embarrassed to have looked so weak in front of another guy. Axel didn't seem to mind, though. He just chuckled, patting Roxas's shoulder slightly.

"Don't sweat it, Rox. So, what kind of stuff do you like to do around here? Do you like music?"

Roxas paused, giving the question a moment's thought. He couldn't keep a bit of bitterness from his voice as he replied.

"They don't really let us do much here, besides a few hours in the R wing, check-ups, and mandatory exercise programs. They're too cheap to give us cd players, or_ anything_ fun or good quality really. I have a friend who likes to draw, but she always gets cheap crayons. The only things that I can find to entertain myself around here are books."

Axel frowned. This place was sounding more and more like jail. What exactly did people come and stay here for, anyway?

Maybe it would have been best to do some research before accepting a job there. He wanted to ask Roxas what he was there for, but held off, in case the subject was a painful one. Maybe the boy was sick or something, but then, everyone else seemed to be pretty healthy here. At least as far as he'd heard...

"Ouch. Well, what kind of books do you like?"

Roxas smiled brightly before jumping out of bed and pulling out a small, cardboard box from underneath it. Inside he revealed several large books and an old flashlight.

"I'm not really supposed to have the flashlight, because when the light's go out we're supposed to sleep. But I found it in the R-wing one day and smuggled it back here, and now I use it to read at night when I can't fall asleep." He beamed down at his collection, sorting through it and pulling out a couple volumes.

"I love sci-fi and fantasy books in particular." He pulled out a large book with a red cover and opened it. "Lord of the Rings is always my favorite. It's so long, reading it helps make the time here seem less tedious." He blushed. "When I was younger, I used to daydream that I was on a quest. Traveling to strange new lands and meeting all sorts of weird characters. It sounds like fun."

Axel smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, sitting on the floor beside him as he looked over the small book collection.

"It's pretty dangerous too, you know."

Roxas blinked, looking up at him strangely.

"Oh, I know," he said dismissively. "But I'd prefer danger and excitement to this place any day. At least then I could genuinely say I was living."

They talked a little while longer, mostly about the books they both liked, keeping the conversation on pleasant, easy topics. Axel even agreed to try and smuggle in a few of his favorite books for Roxas to read, just to give him something new. The younger boy smiled brightly, and Axel couldn't help but be warmed by that smile. It was radiant and sweet, and made his heart beat slightly in a way he couldn't yet understand. There was just something about this boy that intrigued him.

If nothing else, he would make the job feel worth it. Axel just knew it.

* * *

After a while, a woman's voice suddenly came on over the intercom overhead, startling both boys.

"Paging a Mr. Axel Kurami. Dr. Vexen Akuma would like to see you in his office _sometime today. _Axel Kurami to Room 34 of the E wing. That is all."

The redhead blinked, then slapped a hand to his head hard.

"Damn, I forgot! I was sent here to bring you to Vexen's office!"

Roxas looked worried for a moment, before his head then dropped low in defeat.

"Then, I guess i can't avoid him finding out about my flu. Oh well, I can't do much about it now. Hell on earth, here I come."

Axel saw the boy looking so melancholy and felt bad for him. But in truth, there was nothing he could do. Vexen was going to find out...

He got up and walked towards the door, Roxas slowly following him.

"You sure you'll be okay, kid? Maybe I can come with you, or..."

"No," Roxas muttered softly, a small smile on his lips. "They wouldn't let anyone stay in there with me. It's policy. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Axel nodded, more to himself than Roxas. "Well, if you're sure..."

He didn't notice the boy behind him teetering slightly as he walked. He didn't hear it at all when Roxas's breath became louder, harder, or see when the blonde lifted a hand to grasp his head. He was almost out the door, wondering what he could say to make Roxas feel better, before he turned and saw the boy struggling with himself.

"Roxas? Are you-"

He didn't get to finish. Just as he spoke, Roxas swayed on his feet and faltered. Axel had to move quickly to catch him before he hit the cold floor.

"Roxas? Kid, what's wrong?" Axel turned the unconscious boy over in his arms until he was looking down at his face. With the light coming from the hall he could see that Roxas's face was heavily flushed, and he was breathing very harshly, like it pained him every time he took in air. Axel placed a hand on the boy's forehead, snapping it back as though he'd been burned.

"Roxas, you're burning up! Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?"

The boy whimpered and turned his head slightly toward him, but his eyes didn't open. No matter how much he called his name or patted his cheek, Axel couldn't get Roxas to open his eyes again.

"Shit!"

So much for this being nothing serious. He just hoped this wasn't part of some kind of condition Roxas had. Axel gently lifted the boy into his arms and was off in an instant, carrying him as he dashed back to Room 34. Axel knew he was going to hate himself for doing this to Roxas; he really _did _like the boy. He didn't want to have to put him in that room he was so clearly frightened of, but right now he was more worried that this sickness was really something serious. He couldn't no for sure.

He was determined to get to Vexen's office, just to make sure his new friend would be alright.


	3. Chapter 3

Axel passed a few doctors on his way to Room 34, but all of them were too absorbed in their own work to take a look at Roxas. Most of them grumbled at being bothered or kept walking without acknowledging Axel at all, which didn't make any sense to him. The boy was sick! Shouldn't they care even a little bit about that? Otherwise, what the hell kind of doctors were these?

Roxas stirred once or twice, looking up at him weakly and trying to reassure him, but for the most part rested his head against Axel's chest, trying to catch his breath. Axel was glad to see him awake, but the fever never broke or seemed to go down in the least, and the boy's pained breathing was really starting to worry him. For pete's sake, it looked like the kid was dying!

Having no luck finding anyone else to help, Axel was fuming by the time he finally reached Room 34 and burst inside, the resounding thud of the door hitting the wall grating in his ears. He looked over at the desk; the old man hadn't moved at all since he left.

"Vexen! I brought the kid, but something's wrong with him! I need your help!"

Vexen looked up from his scribbling, although he didn't stop. He looked annoyed, but his expression changed quickly when he saw the boy in Axel's arms.

The doctor got up quickly, pulling out his medical bag as he instructed Axel to put Roxas on the table. He pulled out a stethoscope and listened to Roxas's heartbeat first, then he tested his blood pressure and took a sample. He ran a few other tests, which surprisingly only took a few minutes given his experience and speed. Axel watched the whole while, reaching out to hold Roxas's hand even though the boy was unconscious again. His eyes were tightly shut, and although his breathing seemed to ease up just a little he still coughed painfully as Vexen went about examining him.

Vexen cursed loudly, making Axel jump slightly.

"Damn that stupid woman! How could she have let this get this far out of hand? If our experiment is damaged by this, she is _so _beyond fired!"

Axel glared at him harshly.

"What the hell are you talking about? Roxas is a person, not some dumb experiment!"

Vexen ignored him, instead walking over to his desk and pressing a call button on the side of it, as he spoke into a small microphone.

"Dr. Akuma to the main office. We have a slight..._situation_ with patient #13. If we can take care of the problem before it escalates any further, there should be no reason for concern. Please prepare Room 10 of the Q wing and call Mr. Y and Mr. A to the lobby. They'll want to be fully informed on the details."

A woman's voice from the speaker replied, and Vexen then instructed Axel to carry Roxas and follow him to the Q wing. Axel was beyond angry at the man's lack of genuine concern for Roxas's health, but now wasn't the time to pick a fight. He carefully lifted his friend once more and followed Vexen without a word.

The hallways became longer and darker as they made their way to a smaller, less-inhabited part of the main building. Vexen turned the key and opened the door to Room 10 and motioned Axel to go inside and put Roxas on the bed. Axel did as he was told, and as he stepped in he grimaced. The room was small and dark, lacking in anything pleasant or comforting whatsoever. It was colder in here than it had been back in Roxas's room too, and it smelled of too many cleaning products and chemicals. He was supposed to leave his friend _here?_

Axel laid the boy down on the bed and stepped back as several doctors and nurses came in and began hooking him up to the life-support system. He had finally regained consciousness, and as he opened his eyes they seemed to be trying to plead with the doctors, pleading with Axel, not to leave him there. They were hazy, but the fear and sadness was clear in there, and the redhead felt his heart break a little inside. Roxas's breath came in puffs of vapor inside the tube, but the way he was looking at Axel now, it was like he was begging him.

_Please don't leave me. Please..._

Axel wanted to stay with him. He almost pressed forward again, pushing a doctor out of the way so he could hold Roxas's hand. He had to tell him it'd be alright...

"Mr. Kurami!"

He looked over to see Vexen looking very impatient.

"You are to come with me to speak with the superiors. NOW."

Axel looked back at Roxas, seeing his head shake weakly, his eyes still reaching for him so desperately. But orders were orders. With one last look of encouragement, as well as apology, Axel turned away from his friend and followed his boss out of the room.

* * *

The lobby was on the other side of the building, and it took them about twenty minutes to reach it.

Two men already waited for them inside, who Axel assumed were the two men Vexen had requested earlier. They wore dark suits instead of the usual white uniforms that he had seen other people wearing, so he assumed that they were the company's big-shots. The room was virtually empty, with only a few white sofas that were currently being occupied by the bosses. One man had silver hair and deeply tanned skin, while the other was paler and his messy hair was a light shade of blue. Both men looked to be in their mid-thirties, slightly younger than Vexen, and they had equally cold eyes and bored expressions. Axel really had to work to keep himself from glaring at them as he followed Vexen to the middle of the room.

The man with blue hair spoke first, his expression darkening slightly as Axel and Vexen approached.

"What is the meaning of this, Vexen? We have entrusted you and your underlings with the care of that boy, and this is how you display your competence? We have an important contract, one of many countless assets to protect. We cannot afford to lose him."

Axel glared at him. Everyone who worked here treated the patients so strangely. Almost like they weren't human beings. He began to wonder if this was some human rights violation, and was about to speak up and tell this asshole off, when Vexen raised an arm in front of him, blocking him. How the older man had known he was going to speak up, he didn't know. Vexen seemed completely calm in the face of his angry superiors, but now his voice was unnervingly casual as he turned to Axel.

"Mr. Kurami, I've changed my mind. Please return to Room 34 and await further instructions. I'll join you shortly once I have finished briefing Mr. Y and Mr. A on the details."

Axel was about to protest a second time, but he decided against it and simply walked out of the room. He would go back to check on Roxas and make sure he was okay before he would go anywhere else. This place was starting to seem awfully fishy to him...

* * *

Vexen turned back to his superiors and spoke once the door was shut. He completely ignored the man with blue hair, instead speaking to his company's head chairman directly.

"I assure you, Xemnas, the situation is now well under control. The boy is suffering from a high fever and a few other symptoms that were unfortunately allowed to develop, but we will give him all the care he needs. It is just a common flu bug, after all. He should be fine within a week or so."

"You'd better be right, Vexen. You know the cost of these experiments as well as we do, and that boy in particular is one of our most expensive. I would tread cautiously if I were you; I'm afraid that some of those precious documents of yours might accidentally find their way to the police. We wouldn't want them to find you out, now would we?"

Vexen glared at him. "Don't try to intimidate me with your petty threats, Saix. I may go back to jail if they find me, but I swear that if I have to go, I'll take all of S.I.G.E. down with me. If you think that the law will overlook _your_ illegal operations just because you know how to throw your money around, you are horribly mistaken. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other patients to attend to today."

With that, he abruptly turned and left.

* * *

The two men watched him as he left before Saix turned to his best friend and partner.

"Why do you let that repulsive man do whatever he wants? Is it really wise to allow such a dangerous person to wander around here doing as he pleases? He's a threat to more than just our business!"

Xemnas continued to stare at the door, smiling as he spoke.

"He won't interfere with our plans; you know as well as I do that he's too much of a coward to threaten me earnestly. Besides, he may be a criminal, but he's one of the brightest minds the scientific community has to offer. I truly do value his work and expertise."

Saix sighed, shaking his head. "You're always so stubborn." And he meant it. Even when they were children. "But sometimes I fear that your strong feelings in this endeavor will one day cloud your judgement."

Xemnas looked back at him as he walked towards the door, chuckling lightly.

"You give me too little credit, Saix."

* * *

Axel had stopped back by Room 10 to check on Roxas, where a nurse assured him that everything was going to be fine. Axel watched him for a few minutes through the glass window; the doctors had taken him off the machine now, although he still looked ragged from the experience. It was hard to believe a boy could be so small and fragile like that.

But at least the boy was sleeping soundly now, his breathing less labored as his chest rose and fell smoothly. Axel smiled slightly in relief as he looked through the glass. He really had been fearing the worst for a while there...

He decided he should get back to the office before Vexen got mad at him. He had no idea when his boss would be getting back anyways. He just hoped, as he left, that Roxas wouldn't be too mad at him when he woke up. He'd be sure grab those books that he'd promised from his apartment and make them a peace offering the next time he came to work.

He was surprised when he opened the door to Vexen's office, however, to find a young girl with blond hair sitting on the operating table patiently waiting for him. She was drawing in a small sketchbook, but she looked up and smiled as she heard the door creak.

"Oh, hello. You must be new around here. My name is Namine; I'm supposed to be Vexen's next patient."

Axel looked at her for a moment, and then smiled.

"The name's Axel. I'm just an intern here, Vexen's off dealing with other matters right now but he should be back soon." His expression dimmed a bit as his thoughts wandered back to Roxas...

Namine watched him for minute as he was lost in thought, before something seemed to dawn on her.

"Roxas is usually his first patient, right? Is something wrong?" she asked softly, her voice brimming with worry.

Axel blinked. So she _did _know Roxas. "I heard he's going to be alright. I guess he caught the flu from somebody here. He was in pretty bad shape for a while...But like I said, he's good and stable now!" He explained, throwing in the last words quickly, afraid that he'd only worry the girl more.

Namine sighed. "I hope he's not pushing himself too hard. He's a good kid." Then she smiled softly, looking back up at him. "That's just the kind of person he is, you know? I don't think he'd let something as dumb as a bug get him down."

Axel nodded hopefully, his smile slowly returning.

"You two must really be good friends."

"Yeah. He's my only real friend in here." She brushed some hair behind her ear, smiling shyly.

Axel liked her already. Though he immediately wondered if she could answer some of his questions about this place. What were the doctors doing? And why were there so many restrictions on the patients? Why were they all here?

But despite his eager interest, he decided to hold off on that. He didn't want to cause unnecessary stress right now; both he and Namine were a little on edge. But he couldn't dance around the subject forever. One way or another, he wanted to know what was going on. How was this all legal?

The two of them made simple, pleasant conversation from there on out, as they waited for Vexen to come back. Neither of them noticed the shadowy figure listening to them from behind the door. Seeing Vexen approaching from the hall, the young janitor grabbed his cart and strolled away nonchalantly, whistling softly as he went.


	4. Chapter 4

Reference

Hikari: Light (most people know this one tho)

Not all of the last names are actually accepted last names, but they do have a subtle purpose.

It was a pretty cool day weather-wise; the wind was light and the clouds were relatively few. Riku strolled casually down the street that day, glancing around to admire the large homes scattered around the neighborhood. The days were growing longer, and even though it was late afternoon there were many kids out playing in warm sunlight. Riku smiled as he passed a few kids playing basketball on one of the driveways, laughing as they goofed around and crashed into each other. He stopped at one of the longer driveways and turned into it, making his way up. It was a pretty high-class neighborhood.

Knocking on the big blue door in front of the house, Riku waited patiently for a few minutes before he heard a loud crash and yelling coming from inside. A younger boy with brown spiky hair answered the door, his expression lighting up from its previous state of annoyance. "Riku, you're here! I've been wondering when you'd come visit!" The older boy smiled back. "It's good to see you too, Sora. Is your dad at home?" Even though he was much stronger than Sora, he allowed the younger boy to pull him inside and shut the door. Sora dragged him excitedly past one of the maids, who was grudgingly straightening a few pictures and vases that had no doubt almost been knocked over as the boy had come rushing down the hall. Riku mouthed a quick apology to her as he followed his energetic friend to the large living room.

Sora pushed him towards the couch, motioning for him to take a seat. "Wait right here, I'll go find Dad. Then after that, we'd better be going somewhere nice!" Riku sighed as he stretched out on the comfy sofa. "Of course, Sora. Does sea salt ice cream and a movie sound good to you?" The brunette nodded, smiling brightly. "Yeah! You know I'm joking, Riku. I'm happy to go anywhere as long as it's with you. Maybe this time, Dad'll let just the two of us go. You're easily the most competent bodyguard I know." With that he ran off to his father's room, leaving Riku alone for a few minutes.

He glanced absently around the room, looking over some of the old pictures briefly before grabbing the nearby remote and turning on the wide-screen t.v. in the corner of the room. As usual there was nothing much on, so he watched the news for a few minutes before he heard Sora come up slowly behind him. He smirked. _He's cute when he tries to be subtle. _Expecting the usual attack, Riku moved to the side ever so slightly and casually, watching with satisfaction as the brunette sailed past him and landed with a thud on the floor. Sora sat up, grumbling and rubbing his arms as he pouted. "Riku, you're mean." Riku looked down at him and laughed, reaching over to ruffle his hair slightly. "No, you're just a brat with too much energy." Sora stuck out his tongue and swatted the older boy's hand away, but he laughed. "Dad's back in his office. Hurry up so we can go!" He bounded off to find his shoes, and Riku got up and walked down the hall to Leon's office.

* * *

Riku opened the door at the far end of the hall, not feeling the need to knock at this point. He'd known Sora since they were little, and now he worked for Leon when he wasn't busy with his freshman year. He was amazed that Leon hadn't been bothered at all when he and Sora started seriously seeing each other. The man was pretty calm and level-headed for the most part.

The room seemed smaller and darker than usual today, but he noticed that the blinds were down, only leaking in light through the little spaces between. Leon sat at his desk typing, the glare of the screen reflecting on his features as he worked diligently. A small desk lamp sat beside his computer, unlit and covered in dust from years of disuse. Riku sighed. "You're going to destroy your eyes if you keeping typing in the dark, Mr. Hikari." Leon said nothing, typing intently for a few minutes in silence, before he looked up and smiled. "Hey, Riku. You seem to be doing well today. So, what have you got for me?" Riku sighed again. _Always right to business, I see......_

"Well, from what I understand, there was a situation with Roxas last week. One of the staff must have given him the flu, which of course none of the patients are really accustomed to, and he was in critical care for a while. But I've heard he's doing better now." He could tell Leon was frustrated by this news though, as he blankly watched the man slam his fist on the desk. "What are those idiots thinking?! I've put forth a lot of time and money for this little project of theirs, and you'd think they'd treat my investment more seriously! What would they have done if something happened to him?!" Riku waited patiently for him to calm down before speaking again. "I've made them aware of the situation, sir. They know I'll be watching and report to you if anything happens."

Leon seemed satisfied with this. "Thank you, Riku. I knew I could count on you. You are the only other person out there that understands what this means to me, and to Sora. We both want to protect him at all costs. He is the light and future of this family. " Riku nodded. "Of course. I'll stay vigilant and report back to you every week." Leon smiled. "You're a good kid, Riku. Just be sure to have Sora back home before 10 p.m.." Riku nodded, bowed, and left without another word.

* * *

When Riku reached the front door Sora was there waiting for him. "There you are! Let's get going! I just called Kairi; she says she'll meet up with us for the movie later!" Riku nodded, following Sora slowly out the door and down the long driveway. The ice cream place they both liked was only a couple miles' walk away, and he and Sora talked the whole way there. Even as they sat down at the "bar" area, Sora kept asking him about college and what clubs he'd joined so far. Riku had always liked karate; in fact, he took pride in beating Sora at that and everything else when they were little. Then, when the ice cream came, they both sat quietly for a while, enjoying the atmosphere.

After a while, Sora looked up at him, bright blue eyes full of innocent curiosity. "So......what kind of jobs does my Dad have you do, Riku? I know you started working for him a little while ago, and I wasn't sure if it was personal or something." Riku smiled at him, taking another bite of his ice cream. "Not really, it's mostly just keeping an eye on your dad's S.I.G.E. project. I mentioned that before, you just weren't listening."

Sora looked ahead thoughtfully for a few minutes before he spoke. "I've never really understood what that was about. I know Dad signed me up for the program when I was about 6 years old, but he wouldn't tell me much about it. Kairi got signed up by her parents too, but they won't say much about it either. Will you guys ever explain it to me?" Riku sighed, patting him lightly on the head. "Leon will tell you soon, I'm sure. It's not really something any of us are proud of, but just know that it's a necessary precaution. You know what would happen if-"

"I know, I know. I've heard that line a million times. Sometimes it's annoying living in a well-to-do family; everybody treats you like you're different or stuck up or whatever. But fine, as long as you tell me what's going on soon. I don't like being kept in the dark." Riku laughed. "Don't I know it! You're pretty stubborn, you know. But we'll talk about it later, I promise. Tonight, let's just focus on having some fun." He leaned in and kissed Sora deeply, the boy sighing lsoftly as Riku's tongue gently but purposefully parted his lips. His own tongue playfully fought back, like it was an elaborate dance in which only the two of them mattered. It was warm and passionate, seeming to make all his troubles and questions melt away with the ice cream.

When Riku broke the kiss, as always too soon for Sora's liking, he looked up at Riku and grinned. "Yeah, this definitely beats homework! Speaking of which, how much homework would you say you get at O13? I want to know now what kind of a hell I'm in for soon." Riku laughed, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "I could tell you, but I don't think I will." _It's your fault for falling in love with a jerk...._

* * *

The following Tuesday, Axel started bring his backpack with him to work, claiming that he needed do work during the slow periods when he wasn't needed. Truthfully, though, he was smuggling whatever he could bring in, hoping to cheer up his friend. Roxas had been sick all last week, and this was Axel's first chance to see him again since that day. He hoped the younger boy wouldn't be too upset with him.

He opened the door to Roxas's room that morning, finding the lights on inside. Roxas was lying in bed reading on of his books, but when he saw Axel he pouted slightly and turned his back to him. Axel sighed, walking across the room as he spoke. "Come on, Rox. I'm sorry about what happened that day. I couldn't stay with you and I know that must have bothered you, but you need to let this go." Roxas didn't reply, he just pulled the covers over his head and buried himself deeper in the bed. Axel reached his side, poking him in the back a few times. "Stop being a baby. I'm sorry, alright? But I have something here that I think will make it up to you."

Roxas tried to keep his expression blank as he looked up, but he knew he was bad at hiding the curiosity in his eyes. Axel grinned, glad to have his attention, before he slung his bag onto the floor and rummaged around in it for a few minutes. Soon he pulled out several small, hard-cover books and passed them to Roxas, who's eyes widened in delight. "Wow, thanks Axel! How did you get these past security?" The red head grinned wider. "I told em I need to do some homework while I was here, and they bought it." Roxas laughed, looking over his new books excitedly. "Are you sure I can have these?" Axel nodded, and Roxas smiled brightly as he examined the covers and flipped through countless pages.

Eventually, he looked up back to Axel. "You're forgiven." The red head chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his hair, messing up a few blond spikes as he did so. "Gee, thanks pal."

* * *

Axel escorted him as he went about his daily business, but the day seemed much brighter with the red head around. Roxas asked him various questions about his life and what he'd missed the previous week. Axel told him about his college and part-time job, his friends, classes, and meeting Namine. They talked for what seemed like hours, and things began winding down when they sat in the "cafeteria" room of the R wing late that afternoon.

The two of them had seen Namine earlier that day, and they all decided to have lunch together. They talked and laughed, and Roxas wished that everyday could be like this one. Having good friends to spend time with, well, a part of him felt like he'd missed out on it a little bit. Namine said that her attendant would bring her back here later in the afternoon, and Axel agreed that he's bring Roxas by then too and the three of them would meet under the Aspen tree.

Roxas and Axel sat under the tree waiting for quite a while. Axel stared at the tree, marveling at its color and beauty, and they enjoyed the almost complete silence as other patients conversed and walked to pick up early dinners.

After some time had passed, Axel sighed. "I wonder if Namine isn't coming today." The blond boy was gazing thoughtfully up at the tree, his blue eyes narrowing slightly, almost as if they were searching for something. "It's possible. Maybe the doctors wanted to run a few tests or something. Oh well." Another long stretch of silence.

Axel looked at him somberly. "Hey, Roxas? I've been meaning to ask for a while now. What exactly are you in for? I mean, this place isn't really a hospital, it's a scientific institution. I understand if you don't want to tell me though." Roxas didn't reply immediately, his thoughts wandering. "To be honest, I can't really remember why I'm here or how i got here. I've just......been here. I remember meeting Namine here a few years ago, but I feel like there's a huge gap in my memory where coming to this place should fit in. No one here will tell me anything, and you're almost completely on the outside."

Axel stared at the boy, confused. _How can he not remember something that important? _"Well, have you ever tried to just leave?" Roxas nodded. "I was punished with solitary confinement when I tried. I came up with several interesting escape attempts when I was younger, but after a while I stopped trying and just did my best to accept things. Also, like I told you, being so utterly alone, in a white room with no people and no sound........I just...I couldn't deal with it anymore. I just freaked out." Axel noticed that the younger boy was shaking slightly, and he put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rox. I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you that time. I just.....don't know what to make of this place. It doesn't seem like it should be legal, you know? You don't have any diseases or anything that you know of, do you?" Roxas shook his head.

"What about family? Everyone has parents." The boy shook his head again. "I wish I had a family, just to see what it's like, you know? If you're talking about people who care about you, the closest thing I've had to family here is Namine. And I guess you're like the older brother I never had. But regardless of what I want, I've found enough of what I need in you two." Axel smiled at that, putting his arm around the younger boy's shoulder and pulling him closer in a small, but warm hug. Roxas rested his head on Axel's shoulder as he continued to stare off into space; he didn't seem at all bothered by their closeness. But Axel still felt that the fact that the boy had no real memories of his past before S.I.G.E. was unsettling. That just...wasn't right.....

Axel sighed. None of this made any sense. How far in over his head was he? That thought aside, he wanted to lighten the mood, so he grabbed Roxas's hand and pulled him to his feet. "I still have some time before Vexen calls me back to his office. Why don't we go looking for Namine? Maybe she's just back at her room is all, and if she _did _need testing today then we can go cheer her up, right? Do you know her room number?" Roxas nodded, taking one last look at the tree sadly before following Axel over to the door.

* * *

They had reached her room, but something didn't seem quite right. Her patient number had been removed from the door, and when Roxas knocked no reply came.

A few doctors were rushing about as they headed to the main operating room of the C wing, an area neither of the two boys had been before. There was a bit of shouting and confusion, and no matter what they tried no one would willingly stop and talk to them. Axel decided he'd had enough, roughly grabbing one of the doctors before the man could run off, and he asked him politely but firmly what was going on. He stuttered slightly at the threatening red head. "T-There has been a-an accident, and a subsequent o-operation is t-taking place involving o-one of the patients."

Roxas felt nervous. He grabbed the man's coat and asked frantically. "Who is the patient?! It's not Namine, is it?! Please tell me what's going on!" The man sneered down at him as if he was an insect, his tone calm and condescending. "That is none of your concern, young man. But yes, that _was _name of the patient in question." Roxas choked a little. _Was?_

Axel was losing his patience; he was about to shake the man to get a better answer out of him, but one look at Roxas froze him, and he released the man. Ignoring the doctor, who had brushed himself off quickly and ran down the hall, Axel reached out his hand and tried calling to his friend. "Roxas? Are you okay?" The boy was pale, his eyes no longer clear but slightly glazed and full of horror. His voice sounded broken and small. "Namine...you don't think he....he couldn't mean.....she's gone?"


	5. Chapter 5

Reference

Akari: Bright

The Akari Medical Center was in a loud frenzy, as doctor and nurses rushed about shouting directions. It was always loud here, but today there was an emergency situation. Leon and Sora came rushing as fast as they could to the operation room, but they stopped when they found Riku standing outside. Leon stepped inside to speak with the doctors, leaving Sora with Riku. They watched though the glass window as the doctors prepared their friend for the operation. The brunette looked at Riku, his eyes full of worry. "Is Kairi going to be alright, Riku?!"

Today Kairi had been rushed to the hospital after being hit by a car when she was walking home from school. She was suffering from some minor broken bones, but the real concern was the damage that was done to her liver and kidneys. She was lying on the operating table, suffering, and there were no organ donors available to save her life.

All except for one, Riku thought grimly. He put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "She's going to be fine. The doctors found someone who was willing to replace the organs she damaged. She should be out of the hospital in a month or so."

Sora sighed with relief, but something still didn't seem right to him. He had the feeling Riku wasn't telling him something; like saving Kairi's life had come with a high cost. He really hated that Riku and his father kept him in the dark about things, but right now he focused on doing what he could to help Kairi. Just then, Riku's voice disrupted his thoughts. "You stay here in case Kairi wakes up, she'll feel better if she sees you here. There's something I need to find out. Don't worry too much, okay?" With that, the sliver-haired boy patted him on the shoulder and left. The brunette looked back through the glass at his friend sadly, hoping Riku was right.....

* * *

Roxas was beyond devastated; Namine was gone, and she was never coming back.

Axel felt very angry and hurt too; for the short time he'd known the girl he thought she was very bright and kind. No one had told them why she was taken away and Axel was determined to find out what was really going on, but for now he focused on leading his heart-broken friend back to his room. The boy was silent as they walked, his face was blank and almost lifeless; he didn't respond at all when Axel helped him back into the room and sat him on the bed.

Axel shook Roxas as gently as he could, trying to call him out of his trance-like state. The red head's voice was sad and concerned, but he couldn't be bothered to try and hide them. "Roxas?....Roxas....I'm so sorry."

After a few minutes the younger boy seemed to hear him, looking at him briefly before pulling his knees in toward his chest. He lowered his head as he began to sob loudly. Axel sat down beside him on the bed, holding him tenderly as he cried. They sat together in silence for a while, the room around them felt utterly dark despite the glowing lights overhead. Roxas's voice was shaky and hoarse when he finally spoke. "I-I can't stand it, Axel. I j-just f-feel so angry. How could they d-do something so horrible?" His hands clenched into tight fists, trembling. Axel pulled him closer, moving the blond's head to rest on his chest. "I know. I'm angry too, kid. Don't fight the feelings, though, just let it all out. It'll help you feel better."

Axel stayed with Roxas for a long time, wrestling with his own feelings as he tried to comfort his friend. He knew that Vexen would call for him soon, but he didn't care. He'd felt happy when Roxas told him that he thought of him as family, and Axel felt that he had also grown close to the boy in the short week or so that they'd known each other. Now a part of that family Roxas had was gone, leaving the boy feeling more alone than he had felt in his entire life. Axel felt so bad about the whole thing, but he didn't know what he could do.

Soon Roxas had cried himself to sleep, and Axel laid him back on the bed gently, pulling the covers up around his shoulders. He watched him sadly for a few more minutes, stroking his head lightly and brushing the hair from his eyes. The boy dozed almost peacefully beside him, although his eyes were wet and red from crying. Axel sighed, turning around and walking slowly to the door. The minute he'd shut the door behind him, Axel's expression changed, and he took off for Vexen's room, preparing to seek answers by whatever means it took.

* * *

As always, the door creaked loudly, even when he banged it loudly against the wall as he entered. But there was someone else in the office today.

Vexen looked over at him, clearly put off from having his conversation interrupted. The man with the blue hair that he had seen before was there next to the doctor, also glaring in Axel's direction as the red head approached them.

Axel matched their glares, doing his best to keep his voice level at least. "Why did you do that to her? She had friends and a good life, as good as it seems to get in this hell-hole! How could you just take that all away?!" Vexen looked as if he was going to speak, but he was cut off by the blue-haired man beside him. "Her life was devoted to one purpose and one purpose only, and the time came for her to fulfill that purpose. You should not concern yourself with matters that do not involve you." Axel scoffed. "That didn't involve me?! She was my friend, and Roxas's too! She was the only one he had in this place, how could you take that away from _him_?!"

Vexen whispered something to the other man, who smiled maliciously back at Axel. "Ah, so you are patient 13's new attendant. I think you're growing a little too close to our experiment, Mr. Kurami."

Axel gaped at him and practically shouted back. "Why do you keep calling him that?! He's not a fucking lab rat!" Vexen spoke up then. "That is enough, Mr. Kurami. You will not speak to your superiors so rudely if you wish to continue your work here." Axel could have said a lot more, that was for sure. But he stood his ground silently, not willing to lose his internship and leave Roxas alone at the mercy of these sick bastards.

The two men seemed satisfied by this. Vexen sneered at him as he walked past and out the door. "If you'll excuse us now, we have some other matters to attend to." The blue-haired man stopped briefly beside him, smirking as he whispered. "I would keep my head down if I were you, boy. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your little friend Roxas, would we?"

Axel's eyes widened in anger and horror, turning to face the other man. "You wouldn't dare! If you do anything to Roxas, I swear I'll-" But the man ignored him and kept walking, and soon he was out the door, leaving Axel to ponder his cryptic threat alone.

Around the corner of the hall, Riku stood listening, taking care not to be seen as Vexen and Saix opened the door. Having heard enough, he dialed the familiar number on his phone and walked back to his car. He didn't want to be gone too long, not when a friend of his needed support....

* * *

Axel was not content with the answers he got from Vexen and his boss, but he didn't want to risk raising more suspicion. He also didn't want to put his friend in danger. Axel decided that he'd take matters into his own hands, and there was one person he knew of that could possibly help him.

He turned the key to the door of his apartment, pushing it open slowly to reveal the dark mess inside. It was 10 p.m., and the only light came from down the hall in Demyx's room. Sighing, Axel shut the door behind him and pulled a few of the shades down as he walked past, hoping the neighbors couldn't look inside and see the masses of laundry and books scattered about. It was a sty, but at least it was his home.

He wandered into the small kitchen area, grabbing a beer out of the fridge and taking a moment to glance at the shopping list posted on the door. _Why does Demyx always put stuff on the list right as we run out of it? Jeez...... _Oh well, he'd go out shopping tomorrow after work. He scratched the back of his head absently, heading back to confront his roommate.

"Axel! Hey, man, where've you been? I know you aren't working at this hour." As Axel opened the door, he immediately pulled it closed again as a strange smell he couldn't identify seemed to be coming out. "God, Demyx! What the hell are you always doing in here? Just because you're trying to shoot for the starving artist image doesn't mean you have to smell like one!" The blond whined at him from behind the door. "Hey, come on, Axel! I don't tell you how to live your life! What do you want anyway?" "Just meet me in the living room in twenty minutes. I think I need a shower....."

By the time he was done, Demyx was waiting for him on the dark, cheap leather couch by the hall. He was stretched out on the couch, strumming absently on his sitar, and he looked up smiling as Axel approached. "So, what is it, man?" Axel looked at him seriously. "I need you to do me a favor. I know you're brother does work for S.I.G.E.-" Demyx pipped up proudly, "Yeah, who do you think got you hooked up with that internship? My bro's got connections!" Axel sighed at his roommate's enthusiasm. "Yeah, I know. There's something I need him to get for me........"

* * *

Several days later, Axel made his way back to Roxas's room as quickly as possible. He was determined to talk to him, even if the boy wasn't ready to hear what he had to say.

_The day before: _

_Axel found Xigbar at a local Starbucks, lounging in one of the booths with a bottle of sprite in front of him. _

_He was an old family friend, and Demyx's adopted brother, who owned one or two successful businesses close to the edge of town. He was also a competent hacker, and knew a few of the higher-ups at S.I.G.E., and it was for that reason that Axel had Demyx call him here today._

_Axel ordered his coffee and brought it back over to the table, taking a sip as he sat down. Xigbar looked at him intently for a while, chugging his own sprite in a few sips, before speaking. "Are you sure you want this, Axel? I understand that you've grown attached to one of the patients, and I really should have warned you beforehand-" _

_Axel growled, interrupting him. "He's not just some damn experiment, he's my friend! Roxas has a right to know what's going on, even if I don't!" Xigbar sighed, motioning for him to calm down. "Alright, alright. But you're not going to like this." He pulled a large envelope out of his bag and pushed it across the table to Axel. _

_The red head looked at it for a moment, as Xigbar sighed again. "I know you, Axel. I know what you're thinking, and I can tell you right now it's a big mistake. But I also know you're not going to listen to reason." Axel looked up at him, eyes serious and pleading. "If I asked you to, would you-" _

_The older man sighed again. "I couldn't refuse my little brother's best friend, now could I? But I'm telling you right now, if you go through with it, you'll be putting us all in danger. I'm sure you know that already." _

_Now it was Axel's turn to sigh, and he looked down sadly as he spoke. "I know, and I'm sorry. But I just can't leave things the way they are. Even if I end up having to go somewhere else, I will. I've been telling my parents forever that I wanted to study abroad in Germany someday, so I'll fill out the forms and get on a plane as soon as possible." _

_Xigbar smiled. "You're too nice for your own good, Axel. I just hope that whatever happens, you're happy with what you choose." Axel smiled back. "Thanks Xigbar. I knew I could count on you." _

_They listened to the peaceful music that flowed through the shop for a while, and then Xigbar grabbed his bag and stood up to go. "Well, I'm heading out. Tell Demyx I'll be by to see him in a couple days." Axel nodded, thinking a minute before asking. "Should I be wondering how you got these, Xig?" The older man slung the bag over his shoulder and walked off. "You don't want to know."_

Axel opened the door to find Roxas sitting up in bed, staring off in to space. He jumping slightly when he heard Axel enter. His blue eyes were still red from crying, and he rubbed them quickly before facing the red head. "Oh, hey, Axel. Sorry, I just forgot what day it was, and I wasn't expecting to see you." Axel walked over to him quickly, drawing out the envelope as he walked. His face was slightly pale but determined, which puzzled Roxas. "Axel? Are you okay?"

The red head sat beside him on the bed, placing a hand on his knee. "Yeah, I'm fine. What about you, kid? " Roxas looked down and away from his eyes, his expression a mix of blankness and shame. "I've been better. I just have no idea what to do now. Namine is gone and I really wish they'd tell me why. I feel so angry...but at the same time I wonder what's the point? I can't do anything; in the end, I couldn't help her at all. I feel so lost and useless." Axel patted his knee. "I know, kid. I have something to show you now, and you're probably not going to like it, but I'm offering you a chance to know the truth." The younger boy looked up at him, eyes widening. "What are you talking about?"

Axel offered him the envelope, and before he took it Axel asked. "Are you sure?" Roxas looked at him for a minute, and then nodded sadly. "Whatever happens, I want to know."

Axel watched as Roxas slowly opened it. He looked over its contents, eyes widening more and more as he read. A couple of times he had to stop, grabbing hold of his head slightly as if he was being bothered by a headache that wouldn't go away.

"Roxas? Are you alright?" The boy didn't look up, his voice shaky as he spoke. "I'm...fine. But," his voice suddenly became more frantic," this is...... this can't be! And...how could I not remember something like this?!" Axel put a hand on his shoulder, keeping his voice as level as possible. "I couldn't believe it either at first, but it's the truth, Roxas. I'm sorry."

Fresh tears streamed down Roxas's cheeks as small bits of his memories came rushing back. His eyes burned a little, and he shut them tightly, letting the envelope slip from his hands as he tried to compose himself. Axel reached out and wiped the tears away gently, looking at his friend sadly as he pulled him close. "I'm sorry, Roxas. I had no idea."

Thanks for the reviews so far, they're really helpful! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Reference

Shizuko: Quiet Child

Nakaguri: Boring (Lol. I personally don't like Kairi, and she's not very important in this story.)

Xemnas sat alone in his office, looking over a few legal documents that would no doubt take him the rest of the night. But he took his time, knowing even the smallest mistake could prove fatal. Pausing for a moment, he reached over and picked up a picture frame that had been sitting beside him on his desk, looking at it somberly. It seemed so long ago now, but he knew that the anniversary would be coming up soon. He sighed sadly. _Ansem......_

Xemnas was born as the oldest son of a prominent foreign ambassador, who moved the family to the Himura district when he was 7 years old. His father paid him very little attention growing up, and his younger brother Ansem even less. He spent so much time out working and spending time with his business associates that Xemnas felt compelled to take on the role of raising his brother, taking care of him and teaching him all he could. He loved his brother so much, but Ansem seemed to resent him for some reason, and although that hurt him, Xemnas never faltered in his love for his brother.

Then, when Xemnas was 14, his brother was fatally injured in a traffic accident, shattering his limbs and damaging his lungs and liver. Xemnas stayed with him to comfort him, but there was no way to fix the damage or replace the organs. To make matters worse his father, who had been negligent to both boys for so long, suddenly blamed him for his brother's death. The only one who comforted him in his time of need was Saix, but Xemnas still grew very bitter and angry. The pain of losing his brother was too much for him to bear at such a young age, and from that day forward he swore he'd do what he could to make sure he never felt that pain again......

At that moment his thoughts broke; he looked up as Saix entered the office. He was carrying several forms, which he dumped on his superior's desk. "I have more transfer forms from Shizuko. We'll be sending over a car to pick up the new patient next Monday." Xemnas nodded, staring off into space for a minute, barely acknowledged him.

Saix sighed. "It's almost that time again, isn't it? It's been 19 years, when are you going to let this go?" Xemnas remained silent, lost in thought. Saix continued. "Don't try to tell me now that you regret the choices you made then. We're in too deep, Xemnas, we can't back out now. And why should we? This business is small but profitable, and we're making real headway for the future of genetic research and treatment!"

His superior nodded, finally speaking. "You're right. We can't erase what's been done. But we need to be more careful. The incident involving Ms. Nakaguri and her investment drew too much attention to us; we should hold off on the transfer for another couple of weeks or the police may become suspicious." Saix smiled. "I understand, I'll leave you to your work." With that, he turned and left the office, a lasting silence filling the room as Xemnas bent back over his work. He knew he could never let the incident go, regardless of what Saix said. But he would continue to work to protect the interests of the institute.

* * *

Axel sat silently as he watched his friend cry once again. He glanced around the room, afraid of some hidden camera or microphone that might expose them. He'd never thought of it before, but now he had to worry about what the institute would do if they found out what he knew.

It was so much to take in in such a short time, for both him and Roxas. The envelope contained information on the founding of S.I.G.E. and several reports of their recent activities. He couldn't believe it when he read. S.I.G.E. was kidnapping young children, most of them over wide spreads of time from the Shizuko Children's Orphanage. The orphanage covered up the disappearances with "closed-door" autopsies and claiming the children had died of mysterious causes, their names then being permanently erased from the district files. That was what had happened to Roxas; according to the files, he no longer existed.

Axel found his name on one of the lists from 12 years ago. He had been sold to the institute instead of being given the chance of finding a family.

But why was he chosen? As he searched the papers, Axel had found out exactly why. He was perfectly healthy, and had a similar blood type to one of the institute's most prominent clients. When he was brought here years ago, the scientists experimented on him, messing around with his organs while they were still growing and combining and unraveling his DNA. They had purposefully wiped his memory of the event, as they did with all other children, which explained why Roxas had felt so blank and empty trying to remember the time before he came to S.I.G.E. The plan was that if something happened to one of the clients and they required something that no other donor was willing or capable of giving, the needed part would be extracted from the patient they had endorsed. It was an expensive procedure, one that only the richest cats in town could afford, but the institute _did _make a lot of money for it, as well as providing valuable research.

The first time he read through this, Axel felt sick. Now, Roxas looked like he was about to be sick too. He seemed to still be having trouble remembering anything, although he mentioned remembering small bits and pieces that didn't make much sense on their own. Axel grabbed him the trash bin from the corner and rubbed his back as Roxas emptied the contents of his stomach, gagging and coughing as he did so.

Axel frowned as his mind raced with more questions. Were the cops in town so easily bought off that no one challenged S.I.G.E.? Or were they just _that _good at covering this up?

Roxas finally stopped heaving, but he was still pale and shaking, his blue eyes hazy. He looked up at Axel weakly. "So I'm j-just somebody's stupid little p-pet project?! But w-why did they c-choose me and Namine?! I don't g-get this at all!" Axel took his hand, checking the room again before he looked back to Roxas. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Roxas, I really am. But you can't tell anyone about this, do you understand?" Before the boy could protest, Axel put a finger to his lips, silencing him. He continued. "I don't know what they'll do to you if they realize you know, and if they find out how you know I'll get in trouble." He put his hand down then.

Roxas looked back into his eyes, angry and afraid at the same time. "But then, what do we do?! I don't want to stay here, Axel! I hate it! I hate them!" Axel put his arm around the boy's shoulder. "And you have every right to. Don't worry, I'll think of something. I'll do everything I can to get you out of here, Roxas. I promise."

The blond shook his head slightly. "But why? Why would you risk so much for me?! I just met you almost two weeks ago!" The red head smiled at him, whacking him lightly on the head. "Why? Don't be stupid, Roxas! Because you're my friend, kid. That's why. And friends have to look out for each other. Got it memorized?"

Roxas rubbed the small bump on his head and grumbled softly, but despite all that had happened he slowly returned Axel's smile. "Okay."

Axel ruffled the boy's hair, grinning down at him. Even though so much had happened, he promised that he would never abandon his friend, and that seemed to make Roxas feel a bit better. The younger boy hugged him suddenly, and even though Axel was surprised, he returned it warmly.

After a few minutes he got up and walked back to the door, taking the envelope with him. He'd find a safe place to burn it later. " For right now, just stay put. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" The boy glared back at him. "Of course I won't do anything stupid! Stop teasing me already, Axel!" The red head chuckled, ducking out the door as a pillow smacked the wall where he has been standing. "I would, but it's way too much fun!" At least the mood was lightening a little.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks things went slowly. Axel continued to visit Roxas, who was growing more restless every day. He assured his friend that he was forming the perfect plan, and said it wouldn't be much longer. After all, the longer they stuck around, the more likely it would be that someone would find them out.

Roxas agreed to trust him, and Axel spent their days trying to cheer the boy up and take his mind off things. He was still feeling lonely and empty after the loss of Namine, so Axel snuck in more books and even some food to keep him occupied. S.I.G.E. may be a powerful and intimidating institute, but they sure had one lousy security system. One day he showed Roxas his iPod, which the younger boy became fascinated with. He didn't have an extensive musical education, or much of any education in general, and he was willing to try anything the red head offered him. Axel chuckled as Roxas tried and failed to figure out the foreign device, growling in frustration at times but also exclaiming with delight when he finally got a song to play. Seeing Roxas so happy made Axel feel warm and happy, in a way he couldn't really explain. But for now, he had too many other things on his mind.

He returned to his apartment one night after a long day of work, kicking off his shoes and braving the sea of chaos to flop down on the couch. Work had left him beat; he had a particularly nasty customer at the sushi bar today who seemed intent on getting his ass fired. _Now I know why no one ever wants to wait tables... _Demyx must have heard him crash onto the couch, because then he called out from the kitchen. "Hey, Ax. You home? I'm heating up a frozen pizza. You want?" Axel heard his stomach growl then, and he laughed as he called out the okay. The other boy called back. "You care if it has anchovies on it?" "Yeah, I never want to eat fish again." He saw too much sushi on a daily basis that now he could stand it.

It was a Wednesday, so he'd be seeing Roxas tomorrow. He needed to get a jump on his plan. Picking up the phone beside the couch, he dialed Xigbar's number and waited for the ring. The older man picked up, grumbling a bit. "Axel, you _do _realize it's almost midnight, right? I know you work and you're an earlier riser, but some of us actually _like _a full night's sleep." Axel chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, Xig, I got you. Sorry. But hey, I've got a big favor to ask you for Saturday. Are you free?"

Xigbar sighed. "I knew this was coming. Alright, so what do I have to do?" Axel grinned.

* * *

That saturday, Roxas was looking over his books. He was sitting on the floor by the bed,, his back against the box as he glanced over a few pages absently. _I hope Axel thinks of something soon. I'm gonna go crazy if I stay in here too much longer! _ He wanted to go outside, to make friends and see more of the world beyond this small, white jail cell.

He sat in silence for a while, but soon he heard someone unlocking his door. He quickly put the books back in the box and kicked it under the bed, before he stood up and walked toward the door. It wasn't one of Axel's working days, so he wondered who it would be.

When he reached the door it opened quickly, startling him, and a man he'd never seen stepped into the room. He was a taller man, wearing white like the other people who worked at the institute, but a hood was pulled up over his head, hiding his face from view. Roxas instinctively stepped back away from the door, a little afraid of the unknown man. But the man approached him quickly, grabbing his wrist and covering his mouth, muffling a yelp as he pulled the boy closer. Roxas started to struggle against his grip, but the man whispered in his ear. "Calm down, kid. I'm trying to help you. Just come with me and don't make a sound, alright?" When the boy ignored his words, continuing to thrash and cry out, he added, "I'm a friend of Axel's."

Roxas stopped immediately, looking up at the older man with confusion and hope in his eyes. Was he finely going to get out of here? Under the hood he could barely make out a patch of black.....an eyepatch? The man noticed his gaze, chuckling softly. "Name's Xigbar. Now come on, we need to move quickly if this is going to work." He just hoped it really would.


	7. Chapter 7

Roxas did his best to keep up with Xigbar, but the older man was taller and took longer strides. He pulled the boy with him as he ran down the halls, which today looked like a dark, foreboding labyrinth to Roxas.

"Xigbar, can you please slow down? Or at least loosen up a little; you're hurting my arm." Xigbar didn't seem to hear him; instead he turned a corner and pulled Roxas beside him. The older man let him go for a minute as he checked around the corner, and Roxas was grateful for the break. He caught his breath and gently rubbed his arm, wincing at the growing soreness.

Xigbar looked back at him, motioning him over. "What is it? Do you see something? Mmph..." Xigbar quickly covered his mouth, muffling all his other questions as he whispered to him. "Shhh, kiddo! Jeez, has anyone ever told you that you fail at subtlety? Just be quiet and look over there."

Roxas glared at him slightly as he pushed his hand away, but did as he was told when Xigbar motioned around the corner with his head. There were a couple of doctors out there talking, and some security people stood further down the hall, apparently trying to replace a burned-out light bulb.

The older man cursed softly. "We'll never get past that without making trouble! I hate to say this, kiddo, but we're going to have to try a different tactic." Roxas shot him a side-ways look, not sure of what he was planning. "What exactly are you pl-"

Before he could finish, he was pushed roughly from his hiding place, causing him to fall face-first onto the cold, white floor.

"Nnnn......ow, that hurt." _Great_, now his head felt like it was spinning too.

He sat up slowly, groaning and rubbing his new bruises gently, when he noticed that everyone in the hall was looking at him. He froze.

"You there, boy! What are you doing out here alone? Where is your attendant?"

He wasn't sure what to say, so he stuttered as he stood up and brushed himself off, blushing slightly. He felt like an idiot.

"W-Well, I was just out looking for some fresh air, and the door was unlocked...but then I sort of got lost and-"

He heard a gasp from one of the doctors before an arm wrapped around him and something cold and sharp was pressed lightly against his neck, the pain slightly biting. He yelped and turned his head to see that his attacker was Xigbar. But before he could ask what was happening, the hand that grabbed him shot up and covered his mouth, keeping him quiet.

Roxas's eyes widened slightly in fear as he turned his attention back to the horrified doctors, some of whom were calling for their superiors.

Xigbar pulled Roxas closer to him as he spoke, purposefully deepening his voice and stopping the doctors in their tracks. "You're going to let me through, right now. This boy's coming with me, and if you follow me or try anything funny, he dies."

To prove his point, he pressed the knife in harder, and Roxas cried out a little as he felt the small trace of blood trickle down his neck. But that seemed to get the message across, as the doctors and security people moved aside and let them pass without a fight.

As Xigbar opened the front door, Roxas squinted in the sunlight and brought his hand up to shade his eyes, but the older man shook him roughly. "Keep moving, boy." Roxas grumbled; even if this was all for show, he didn't need to be _that _convincing.

Xigbar pulled him out the door and down the street to a beat up old truck parked slightly over the line. He opened the door quickly, shoving Roxas into the back seat as he jumped quickly into the driver's seat. He then hastily turned the key and stepped on the peddle, sending the car off in a rush down the street and out of sight.

* * *

For the rest of that day the entire staff could hear Saix screaming from the Superior's room. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE! YOU JUST LET IN SOME RUFFIAN OFF THE STREET AND THEN LET HIM WANDER UNSUPERVISED?! WHAT EXACTLY DO WE PAY YOU PEOPLE FOR?! YOU'D BETTER GET THAT BOY BACK HERE NOW, OR I PROMISE YOU'LL LOSE A LOT MORE THAN JUST YOUR JOBS!" People hurried out of the room, scrambling off to organize search teams even though they had no idea where to even begin looking for the missing blond.

Saix fell back into his chair, messaging his temples as he groaned loudly in frustration. Xemnas sat behind his desk, silent and pondering. The blue-haired man looked at him, exasperated. "What are we going to do, Xemnas?! We _need _to get that boy back; who knows what will happen if word of this gets out!....How can you be so nonchalant about all this?"

His partner looked back at him calmly, a cold gleam in his eyes. "We need to think this through calmly, Saix. Usually you are cold and calculating enough to figure this out. _If_ the man got past security, he must have a pass or some connection to the institute _and_ know exactly what the patients are worth to us. And _if _we don't receive some form of a ransom note within the week, we can assume that he didn't kidnap the boy to extort money from us. And if _that_ is the case, what could he possibly want? Anyone who is absent from work during the next few weeks is a prime suspect, and let's not forget that the boy has developed a close relationship with his new attendant who just started working here recently. We should definitely keep a close eye on Axel Kurami."

Saix nodded, the plan making perfect sense to him. He suddenly remembered the red head's reaction when he'd threatened him with the boy's life before, so that definitely left room for suspicion. He smiled wickedly, impressed by his friend's cunning. "I knew there was a reason I let you be in charge." Xemnas smiled back. "Again, you give me too little credit."

Unfortunately for them, Riku was once again listening outside. _This isn't looking good. I have to let Leon know what's going on......_ He pulled out his phone again, walking briskly away down the hall as he dialed the familiar number.

* * *

Roxas sat up slowly in the back seat, placing his hand gently over the cut on his neck as he glared at the front seat. "Did you really have to be so forceful? I know it was just an act, but you had me freaked out there for a minute. And that did kinda hurt, you know."

Xigbar grunted, looking back through the rear-view mirror as he drove. "Listen up, kiddo. I risked a lot by coming to get you today. I'm sorry I shoved you around a little, but it was the only way to guarantee a quick getaway. It'd be bad for all of us if they found out it was me..."

Roxas looked down at his knees, suddenly feeling guilty. He spoke softly. "I'm sorry, Xigbar.....I really am grateful that you helped me. But, what do we do now?"

Xigbar kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. "Well, even if we were lucky enough to get away without anyone seeing the license plate, I'm ditching this car as soon as possible. Don't worry, it's pretty old; a friend of mine found it at the dump and fixed up a while back. Then, after the car's gone, we both have to change clothes, trash our old ones somewhere, and then we'll head over to Axel's place. You can hide out there until Axel figures out what to do with you." Roxas nodded.

They spent the rest of the drive in silence, and as Roxas gazed out the window he was amazed at the world he saw. Everything was so bright and lively; colors and shaped seemed to dance by him as the car drove on. Most of these were completely unfamiliar to him, and he couldn't contain his excitement as his eyes wandered from place to place, growing wider with interest.

At one point Xigbar called back to him, breaking up his thoughts. "Hey, kiddo, keep your head down a little, would ya? Honestly, you're just _terrible _at this!" Roxas sighed, doing as he was told. Who would recognize him out here, or remember enough about him to tell someone else? Even if someone remembered Xigbar's eye patch, he was driving fast enough that they both probably looked as much like a blur of color to everyone else as the world looked like to him!

"Oh, and I have a couple of shots I need to give you." Roxas looked up at him, blue eyes suddenly fearful and distrustful. Xigbar sighed as he made a quick right turn, jarring Roxas to the right slightly. "It's not what you're thinking. You've been living in a clean, sterilized place for a while, kiddo, and now that you're out here, your body will be exposed to all sorts of germs and viruses. Axel mentioned to me what happened when your previous attendant got the flu; well, we don't want something like that to happen again, right?"

Roxas looked down again, nodding grimly. He hated shots, but he didn't want to risk having to be rushed to the hospital. That might draw unwanted attention, and that thought alone was enough to make him agree. He shuddered a little, catching Xigbar's attention.

"Don't be so nervous. I promise it won't hurt too much." Roxas gulped, backing into his seat a little. Why did he have to get stuck with the one-eyed psycho?

* * *

Axel paced nervously in the living room, his history text book lying abandoned and forgotten on the arm of the couch. He hated the subject anyway, and he just couldn't think about school at a time like this! His mind worked through all the possibilities, though he mostly seemed to focus on the bad ones. He could see Xigbar being found out, Roxas getting dragged off somewhere for some horrible new testing, and someone showing up at his door any minute now.......

A sudden knock on the door that very minute caused him to jump, jarring him out of his thoughts abruptly.

Demyx had gone out for the day with some friends, so the apartment was eerily quiet that late afternoon. The sun was low, light coming in through the raised shades to cast dark shadows around the furniture and piles of clothes that sat around him. He hesitated for a moment, waking slowly to the door and looked through the tiny hole in the top center. He immediately saw the eye patch, and he sighed with relief, the air starting to flow easier now. A call sounded from behind the door. "Yo, Ax! You there? I brought your new boyfriend!" Axel choked a little that time, grumbling as he felt himself blushing slightly. _He may be adopted, but he's Demyx's brother all right......._

When he opened the door, he heard a small yelp and saw a quick flash of yellow as something heavy was shoved against his chest, sending him sprawling backwards onto the floor. He groaned as he heard Xigbar chuckle. "So sorry I can't stay longer, but _some_ of us have work to do on the weekends! I'll leave you two alone to get better acquainted!" And with that, Xigbar pulled the door shut behind him and left without another word.

Axel opened his eyes to find Roxas lying on top of him awkwardly, his head buried in his chest. The younger boy looked up slowly, meeting his green eyes for a moment, before he blushed madly and scrambled to get off of him. Roxas slid off his side and sat up, offering him a hand shyly. "Sorry........" Axel chuckled, taking the boy's hand and sitting up slowly. "Don't sweat it, kid! I'm just glad you made it here in one piece!.....Hey, what happened to your neck?"

Roxas looked down a little, confused at first. But then he remembered, and he brought a finger up to his neck and pulled it out in front of him, examining the dried blood. "Oh, I almost forgot about that. It was the only way Xigbar could think of to get us out of there without too much trouble."

Axel nodded in understanding. "Still, sorry you had to go through that. i would have warned you, but I thought that being in the dark would protect you some, in case the plan failed, you know?" Roxas nodded back. "I understand. I can't thank you enough for saving me."

They sat in silence for a minute or two, before Axel stood up and helped him to his feet. He pointed down the hall. "Well, there's a sink in the bathroom back there. We'd better get that cut cleaned up so you don't get an infection. I'm sorry the place is a mess, but I'll bet it's better than that tiny white room you lived in before." Axel stepped back a little, grinning widely. "Welcome home, Roxas."

_Home. _He liked the way that sounded. But mostly he felt happy that he'd made such a good friend, and he bounded after Axel excitedly down the hall, intent on exploring every inch of his new home when they were finished.....

Yay another chapter! Really, in 358/2 days Roxas is the worst recon/stealth person in the organization! Lol. Keep up with the reviews, they really help! Remember, if I know I'm doing well, then I can guarantee the same, if not better quality work in the future. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry it's kind of a short chapter, but hey, we need a little filler sometimes. :)

The maids wandered about hurriedly that day, completely ignoring the boy crouched by the door at the end of the hall. Sora waited quietly outside his father's office, listening as his father yelled into his speaker phone at Riku. "What do you mean Roxas is gone?!"

He heard Riku reply calmly. "I'm only telling you what I heard from Saix and Xemnas. Someone managed to sneak into the institute, and apparently they grabbed Roxas and left."

The brunette heard his father's fist slam down on the desk. "Damn it, Xemnas!....All right, here's what I want you to do now, Riku. You heard them mention something about that intern who was taking care of Roxas being a prime suspect. I want you to look up what you can on this Axel guy and report back to me as soon as possible. I'll contact S.I.G.E. in the meantime. If they think they can get away with this little stunt unscathed, they're sorely mistaken."

Riku replied quickly before his father hung up the phone, and Sora backed away from the door slowly and quietly, pondering what he had heard. Something was definitely going on; he'd never heard his father so worked up before. And who were Roxas and Axel? He was determined to get answers, even if Riku and Leon wouldn't tell him anything yet.

Sora sat down on the couch in the living room for a little while, the mindless droning of the t.v. a mildly irritating background noise. He grabbed the remote and flipped it off, mind still overflowing with questions, when Leon came out and broke his train of thought. "There you are, Sora. I'm sorry, I've been a little busy with work today. I figured we'd go out and have dinner later, if that's okay with you. Do you want to go visit Kairi at the hospital today?" The brunette grinned back at him, doing his best to hide his suspicion. "Sure. I'd like that, Dad."

* * *

Demyx came home late that night from his friend's place. He flopped down the couch, not surprised at all to see Roxas sitting there with Axel. He beamed at the younger boy. "So, this must be your little boyfriend from S.I.G.E., eh? He's pretty cute, Ax, good for you!" Axel blushed and glared as Demyx pulled Roxas into a crushing hug, the boy blushing back and struggling out of the death grip. Axel sighed. "Leave him alone, Demyx."

Demyx whined back at him, but loosed his grip as he did so. "Come on, Ax! Don't expect to keep him all to yourself!"

Roxas pulled back awkwardly, trying to put forth a good smile as he reached out his hand. "My name's Roxas. It's nice to meet you." The older blond blinked at him and laughed. "Aw, that's really cute! My name's Demyx, kid! I'm Axel's roommate, and I don't have nearly as much on my plate as he does, so I'll be babysitting you when he's not around!"

Roxas looked exasperated at the idea; he was 17 for God sakes, he didn't need a babysitter! The boy looked at Axel, confused, but the red head nodded back. "Yeah, see, we both have class and all, but I have a side job that I need to work for a little extra cash every month. Also, I gotta keep going back to S.I.G.E. on tuesdays and fridays, just so they don't suspect anything, you know?" Roxas nodded sadly in acknowledgement. He hoped Axel wouldn't be gone for too long.....

Axel continued. "And I hate to say this, but you should probably stay put until we figure out what to do. There must be people out looking for you now, and it'd be bad if someone recognized you." He immediately saw the younger boy's look and sighed. "I know, I don't like it either, kid. But I'd rather you be bored and cooped up in here where it's safe. You don't want to go back to that place, do you?" The blond shook his head firmly, but his expression didn't change. Axel sighed again. _I figured that would be a no....._

Demyx watched the two for a while in silence, and then he decided to lighten the mood. He got up quickly, stretching. "Well, Roxas, Axel told me that you liked music! I've been writing some pretty cool stuff myself, you wanna see?"

Roxas looked up at him slowly, blinking. "Well, yeah, but I just- Ah!" The older boy grabbed his hand and dragged him quickly back to his room. "Hey, what are you- wait a second! Axel, help!"

Axel watched them go, chuckling as the door shut abruptly behind them. The boy was in Demyx's room now; he's have to get out on his own. After a minute he got up and stretched as well, wandering off to the kitchen to see what he could heat up for them to eat. _And I'd better dig out some extra pillows and blankets for tonight. Too bad this place only has two beds....._

* * *

Roxas slept in Axel's room that night, once he finally managed to escape the clutches of Demyx. Roxas seemed to like the older boy, despite his pushy, energetic nature, and Axel guessed that the two would get along just fine.

Axel offered him his bed that night, but Roxas wouldn't hear any of it. He didn't want Axel to go any more out of his way for him than he already had. He nestled himself in a pile of blankets on the floor, perfectly comfortable.

The two boys stayed awake for a while that night, laughing and talking for hours. Roxas told Axel about all the things he had seen that day. The red head chuckled as he listened to his friend, watching the boy's brilliant blue eyes grow wider in excitement as he spoke. There was so much the younger boy wanted to see and do, and he sounded so bright and hopeful that Axel felt tempted to follow him. The enthusiasm rubbed off on him easily...

"Well, I'm sure you'll get to see that stuff someday. It's a big world out there, and you've got plenty of time." They sat quietly after that, until finally Roxas gazed up at Axel slowly, his eyes thoughtful. "So, what are we going to do now, Axel?"

The red head stared at the ceiling. "Well, we can't stay here forever, not while S.I,G.E. is still running. My plan right now is to take that study abroad program to Germany that's being offered at O13, and then just save up some money for an extra ticket. That'll get us out of the country and in the clear, at least for a little while."

Roxas looked down at the floor. "I don't want to cause you any trouble. I wish I could get a job so I could pay you back a little."

Axel's expression softened, and he reached down and ruffled the boy's hair. "I told you not to worry about it, Rox. I _want _to do this; you wouldn't be here if I didn't. And if you really feel like you're putting me out, then once we get somewhere safer you can get a job and pay me back. We got a deal?"

The blond smiled softly back at him, blushing a little as he did. "Thanks, Axel. I'll work hard, I promise." "Yeah, I know."

They both sat like that in silence for a while; Roxas's eyes slipped closed and he smiled as Axel ruffled his hair. It felt nice....not just the sense of touch, but also now that he had someone to look after him. How had he ever put up with living in such a cold, dark, lonely place before?

Soon Roxas was yawning continuously, barely able to keep his eyes open. Axel pulled back his hand slowly after some time, rolling over on his side and reaching out to flip out the lights. The window shade was still up, but he was too lazy to get up and close it, instead letting the bright moonlight shine through and cast shadows over the floor and walls. "Well, we better get some shut eye, kid. I have to go out shopping again tomorrow anyway, so I'll stop by the thrift store on the corner and pick you up some cheap clothes. That should last you a while. Do you want anything from the supermarket?"

There was a long silence in the room as the blond gave it some thought, but eventually Axel heard the small voice behind him. "Ice cream?"

He chuckled, closing his eyes. "Sure, Rox."


	9. Chapter 9

Axel groaned and yawned as he sat up; judging by the light coming through the window he guessed it was about noon. He looked around the room briefly as he stretched. It was quiet and still, all except for the light snoring coming from the floor by the bed.

Axel looked over the side of the bed, smiling down at his sleeping friend. Roxas was sprawled out in an awkward position with one arm stretched out above his head, his chest rising and falling peacefully. Most of the blankets had been kicked off in the night, and the boy shivered a little in his sleep. Axel chuckled as he got off the bed and knelt down, pulling the blankets back up over the boy's shoulders. As he did so Roxas seemed to snuggle deeper in his make-shift bed, smiling at the warmth. The red head laughed again as he watched him, and then headed off for the kitchen.

He left a note saying that he'd be out shopping on the fridge, and with that he grabbed his bag and left, locking the apartment door behind him. It was going to be a lazy day; even Demyx was still asleep......

* * *

Roxas woke up later when he felt something pinching and poking at his face. His nose twitched and he opened his eyes slowly, blinking in surprise when he saw Demyx starring at him, only a few inches away from his face. "Roxas, wake up! It's almost three o'clock, kid! Time to get up!" The older boy poked him again.

Roxas shot up quickly, almost head-butting Demyx as he did so. He blinked off the drowsy haze in his eyes and looked up. _Three o'clock! I've never slept that long before! _He gazed around for a minute before noticing that Axel wasn't there. Demyx stood up as he laughed. "Axel's out shopping right now, so who knows when he'll get back! But what do you say to grabbing some food? I better you're hungry!"

Of course, his stomach picked that minute to growl at him and he laughed a little, smiling brightly up at Demyx. "Yeah, that sounds good." The older boy reached out a hand and Roxas took it, allowing Demyx to pull him up. He yawned and stretched a little before following Demyx down the hall. _I wonder what there is to do around here, besides eat?_

The place was a little dark in the late afternoon light, and the only real noise was coming from the stereo in Demyx's room. It was light and relaxing, drifting softly through the apartment as the two walked toward the kitchen. A sudden knock broke the peace, and Demyx walked over to the door, taking a minute to look through the little hole. He didn't say anything or move to open the door, even when the knocking came again. It didn't sound like whoever was at the door was just going to give up.

Demyx didn't look back even as the younger boy approached. When he finally began to turn around, Roxas shot him a puzzled look. "Demyx, what's up? Who's out- hey!"

The older boy had opened the hall closet door quickly, and without a word Demyx grabbed him by the arm and shoved him inside. Before Roxas could protest, Demyx whispered through the crack in the small door. "Don't say anything, and don't come out until I tell you to." The boy slowly nodded, even though he knew Demyx wouldn't see it. He waited quietly until he heard the front door being unlocked and open.

* * *

"Riku, hey man! I haven't seen you in a while! How've you been?" The silver-haired boy smiled back. "Just fine, Demyx. Can I come in for a minute?" "Sure!"

Demyx led his classmate back into the living room, moving quickly but nonchalantly past the hall closet. Riku followed him slowly, listening as he mindlessly chatted away about nothing in particular.

Meanwhile, jammed in between a few coats and boxes in the closet, Roxas was trying his best not to make any noise, though he grumbled a bit as he readjusted himself. Why the hell did Demyx stuff him in the closet? But something in the older boy's tone made him nervous, and he decided to just trust Demyx on this one. There was no sense in ignoring a good warning, and with that thought he finally managed to crouch quietly into a sitting position, listening intently to the two boys outside.

"So, how're your classes going? I hope you're not ignoring that cute boyfriend of yours too much! He should be in college in another year or so, right?" Riku smiled again; Demyx always reminded him of Sora, because he never seemed to stop asking questions. Although the blond _did _have a strange personality. "Yeah, I think he wants to attend O13 next year, but I keep encouraging him to search around a little; I don't want him to go there just because I go there too, you know? But hey, he's pretty stubborn, so I'll probably be introducing you two next year anyway." Demyx nodded, sitting down cross-legged on the floor beside the couch. "That'd be cool! From what you tell me, he's quite the little ball of energy! But I almost forgot, what was it you came by to ask? I didn't know you knew this address."

Riku looked at him seriously. "Sorry. I would've called you, but I think I lost your number by accident. Anyway, I wanted to know, is your roommate around? I have a question I want to ask him."

Demyx shot him a side-ways look. "You mean Axel? I didn't know you two'd met already. Sorry, he's out shopping right now. I can try to call him back, if you want..." Riku sighed. "No, it's okay. I can come back later and talk to him. I'm sorry to bother you, Demyx." The blond smiled at him. "You're not bothering me, Riku. I haven't really gotten much done today anyway."

* * *

The silver-haired boy got up to leave, claiming he had somewhere to be later and he didn't want to be late. Demyx whined for a minute, but he got up and walked him to the door all the same. As Riku stepped out the door, Demyx asked him a quick question."Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. How're things going with your job over at S.I.G.E. these days?"

From his hiding place in the closet. Roxas did what he could to hold back a gasp. _So this guy works for the institute?_ He felt his heart pound a little faster, but he hoped no one else could hear it. The boy pressed his ear to the door, listening as Riku spoke. "It's been okay, although there was a weird situation the other day that riled the place up a bit. This weird guy snuck into the building and kidnapped one of the patients. The guy's out on the run somewhere, and everyone's pretty worried about the kid he took with him. You haven't seen anyone suspicious around lately, have you? We couldn't find much about the man since he was so thorough in disposing of the evidence, but the kid's name was Roxas, I think. He's about 17 and has spiky blond hair and blue eyes."

There was something in Demyx's tone that Roxas couldn't identity when he heard the older boy speak. "Sorry, haven't seen anyone weird around lately. Well, not anyone weirder than Axel anyway. But I'll keep an eye out and be sure to let you know if I see something. And I'll let Axel know you stopped by; I'll give him your number and see if he can call you latter."

* * *

Once Riku had left, Demyx pulled the closet door open. Roxas looked up at him, sighing with relief that the danger was over for now. He was still shaking a little when Demyx reached out his hand. "Sorry about that, Rox. Just taking precautions, you know? But it looks like my intuition was right." The boy took his hand slowly, looking up sadly but gratefully as he got up. "Thanks, Demyx."

* * *

Axel came back later in the evening, he knew something was up. Both Roxas and Demyx were unusually quiet and a little on edge. The mood was a little awkward when they dat down and ate dinner; the younger boy barely touched his food, saying he just wasn't that hungry. When Roxas went off to take a shower, he decided to confront Demyx about it.

"Alright, Dem, what happened today? You both have been acting weird since I got back, and I wanna know what's up."

The blond looked back at him grimly, his expression serious. "A classmate of mine stopped by today; he's another person who was able to get a job at S.I.G.E. through my brother's connections. He came by today asking about Roxas...."

The red head paled considerably. How could they have possibly linked the kidnapping to them so soon? But he tried not to get too ahead of himself; it was too soon to tell for sure. He'd just go to work on tuesday and put on a good act, that was all. He'd yell and bitch about them being so careless with his friend, and then they'd get off his back.....

He looked back at Demyx. "But you got rid of him, right? You don't think he'll come back?"

The blond sighed. "I don't know, Axel. But there's something else about this that's bothering me......The guy who stopped by, Riku....his boyfriend is the one who owns Roxas's contract."


	10. Chapter 10

Warning: love and angst in this chapter! :)

Roxas didn't take very long in the shower, and shrugged on his pajamas absently, his mind somewhere else entirely. He then walked back to Axel's room slowly, his head lowered. Demyx was out there watching t.v., probably some action movie that was playing on-demand, and Roxas sighed as the roar from the living room seemed to follow him as he went.

He had this sinking feeling that just wouldn't leave him alone. He'd been scared when Riku came so close to finding him.... and to find out that he knew the person who pretty much owned his life....it was all so much to take in. It seemed now like life was just a cycle of one bad surprise after another, and Roxas wondered grimly if it would ever end....

He stumbled as he walked into the dark room, causing a slight ruckus as he fumbled for the light switch. When he finally found it and turned on the light, he almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Axel over on the bed. The red head was lying with his arms behind his head, staring thoughtfully up at the ceiling, or at least he had been before he heard Roxas come in.

The blond breathed a sigh of relief, pulling his hand away from his thumping heart. "Jeez, Axel, you scared me for a second there! What are you doing sitting in here alone in the dark?"

The older boy sat up slowly, looking at him intently, almost as if he were glaring at him. His voice sounded almost....hurt. "I was waiting for you, Roxas. I heard about what happened today. Why didn't you tell me about it earlier?"

Roxas looked down at his feet, sensing that Axel was annoyed with him. He didn't want his to worry, so he tried to think of a way to reassure his friend. Roxas faked a smile. "I didn't want to bother you. It's no big deal; Riku left anyways, so there's really no problem...."

Axel snapped at him suddenly, startling him. "Of course there's a problem! Someone's hunting for you, and if what Demyx says is true, he's close to the person who..." The red head couldn't finish his sentence. He crossed the room and grabbed Roxas by the shoulders.

The younger boy winced when Axel raised his voice again, causing him to shake a little. "It's only been one day, Roxas, and they've already managed to track you here! It's way too soon! We have to get you out now before something bad happens! Do you understand?!"

Roxas had never seen Axel this worked up, and it frightened him. He looked up at his friend frantically, his eyes filling with tears. "But A-Axel, what are you saying? We can't leave yet! You still have things to do and I....I-I have no idea where to go....."

Axel softened as the younger boy began to sob, and he began loosening his grip. Roxas felt ashamed of himself as his crumbling wall of assurance came crashing down almost instantly. "I'm s-sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was just scared, I g-guess.....but I didn't want you to w-worry. You have enough to d-deal with right now....."

"Rox...." The red head pulled him into a hug, comforting Roxas as he tried to compose himself.

Roxas buried his head into Axel's chest, letting the hot tears stream down his face as he hiccuped softly. The older boy was always so warm.....it reminded him of how alone he'd felt growing up at S.I.G.E., with no one to really hold him when he cried or praise him when he did well. Namine was the only exception, but even then she didn't always no how to comfort him. He'd never felt like anything the doctors told him really meant something, but Axel's words and actions _always_ meant something to him....

But was this really what a family felt like? Did that mean you wanted to stay with that person forever? Roxas couldn't help but wonder if what he felt for Axel was something more, and that made him feel horribly confused. Sometimes he caught himself thinking things about his friend that he wasn't comfortable to admit to anyone, not even to Namine if she had been here. And he had told her _everything....._

Axel put a hand on his cheek gently, wiping a few tears away with his thumb. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, Roxas. I'm just.....afraid too. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, and I just got stressed out is all. I didn't mean to take it all out on you....But how can you expect me not to worry? "

Roxas nodded, hiccuping again as he practically whispered, his voice small. "I-It's okay. I'm j-just being a baby again...I really am useless."

Axel stepped back slightly, turning Roxas's head so that he was looking him in the eyes. His expression was kind, but completely serious. "No, Roxas. Don't say things like that. You're one of the strongest people I know; that's one of my favorite things about you. It's not good for you to beat yourself up like that.."

Roxas blinked at him for a minute before he suddenly became aware of the short distance between them. He felt his face heat up a little as his gaze swept over Axel's face, his eyes finally settling on his lips. They were right there front of him, so close he could just lean over and.......

No! He hit himself mentally as he shrugged a little out of Axel's grip and tried to back away. He felt his face burning madly now Axel looked at him quizzically. "Roxas, are you okay? You look kind of-"

"It's nothing! Sorry, I'm just a little tired is all!" _Damn it! _The words sounded rushed as they left his lips, and the red head was obviously not convinced. Despite Roxas's little protests, Axel stepped closer to him and put his hand on the boy's forehead, the concern growing in his voice. "You feel a little warm, kid. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah! Really, I'm fine, Axel!" It still sounded rushed and unconvincing. Roxas _did_ feel a little spacey, but he was trying not to think about it right now. He needed time to sort out how he felt before he could find out if Axel felt the same way. If he ever figured out how to ask him, that is.......

He brought his hands up nervously, motioning towards the door. "I just forgot, I think I left the water running in the bathroom! I think i should go check and make sure, you know? I'll be right b-" He was completely shocked when Axel leaned down quickly and kissed him, crushing the boy's lips with his own before he could protest.

Roxas's head was spinning now; he couldn't make sense of what was happening. Axel wrapped his arms around him, stroking his back and pulling him closer as he nipped the younger boy's lip slightly. Part of him desperately wanted to return the kiss, and Roxas sighed deeply as he relaxed, hating himself for it all the while. It was so soft and warm, and Axel tasted so sweet; it was better than he'd imagined it....

No! This was his best friend he was making out with! This couldn't possibly be right! His mind snapped back to reality and he panicked, desperately pushing Axel away. He just wasn't prepared for this!

Roxas was no where near as strong as Axel physically, but the older boy seemed to sense his tension and decided to pull away on his own. The red head looked at him, surprise and hurt in his emerald-green eyes as he searched Roxas's blue ones. He had taken care to be gentle with the younger boy, and he seemed to respond to it at first, but now....

Roxas felt more tears building in his eyes, and he did his best to blink them back as he tried to find the right words. He felt so confused, and he couldn't understand the look in his friend's eyes as he watched him. "A-Axel, I'm sorry....I-" Without another word, Axel turned on his heel and practically ran down the hall to the door, ignoring as Roxas called out to him. "Axel! Please, wait!" He heard Demyx call out also, but the door slammed shut and Axel was gone.

Roxas stood there alone in Axel's room, his fingers brushing his lips as the tears seemed to flow without end. Did he just imagine all that? _What......was that!? Axel....._

* * *

He spent the night sitting on the bench at the park. He was feeling so many things at once, and he couldn't bring himself to face Roxas again so soon after what he'd done.

Axel had cared for the boy from the start; from the moment he'd met him, the red head knew that they would hit it off. But he got way too involved, and now he was in deeper than he ever could have imagined. He wasn't just dealing with the problem of getting Roxas safely away from S.I.G.E. _Now _he was trying to sort out the feelings he'd developed for the younger boy.

Axel always felt like a selfish person. He never made or kept friends easily growing up; Demyx was one of the few exceptions, as he seemed to decide that he liked someone and just stalk them forever.

The more that people got to know him, the less they seemed to like him, and Axel had been called a backstabber too many times to count. Sometimes he even felt like an outsider in his own family. But then there was Roxas. The boy was funny and kind, and even though he didn't have a great sense of self-worth he had a knack for seeing the good in others. He never turned his back on Axel over trivial things like other people had. Not to mention Axel felt like he could spend hours just getting himself lost in Roxas's bright, blue eyes....

But now, he was worried about what Roxas would think. Tonight, Axel had done something dumb in the heat of the moment, and he felt slightly afraid that Roxas would reject him. When the younger boy had pushed him away, looked at him with those eyes so full of pain and confusion.....it was like his heart had been snapped into little pieces and then set on fire.

Axel sat with his head in his hands, ashamed that he was crying now too. He felt as if he had broken something precious to him, and he wasn't sure if it could ever be fixed.

* * *

Axel trudged back to the apartment early that morning, intent on grabbing his stuff and leaving quickly. The sun was just barely rising, and he looked to the glowing red sky for some support before he turned his key in the door and went inside.

The living room was quiet and dark and, as usual, messy. He walked quietly back to his own room and with a heavy heart, he opened the door slowly to peak inside.

There was the familiar light snoring coming from inside, which he took as a sign that it was safe to enter. Roxas seemed to have a habit of tossing in his sleep, but this morning he wasn't sprawled out like he had been the day before. He was curled up on the floor, laying on his side and facing away from the door. Axel looked down over him for a closer look, and he could tell the boy's eyes were still red. The boy seemed to sleep peacefully enough, but his cheeks were wet and he tossed and turned a little as Axel watched him for a few minutes sadly, wishing he could wake him up and tell him everything. But he was too nervous to try, not sure what he'd say......

Axel sighed as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder quietly. He was just about to leave when he heard a soft murmur behind him.

"Axel....." When he looked back, he saw that the boy was still asleep. Axel smiled sadly as he pulled the door closed behind him, heading back to the front door. _We'll talk about it later, kid. I promise. _He just hoped that Roxas would understand....

* * *

It was tuesday, two whole days after their little "incident," and Axel and Roxas had barely spoken since. They avoided each other's eyes whenever the other was around, and Demyx was getting annoyed by their stubbornness. He thought about what he could do to finally break the awkward silence....

* * *

Axel had trouble focusing in all of his classes that day, even the ones he liked. He bumped into Demyx once on his way to get lunch, and he was glad that the blond still hadn't pestered him about what had happened that night. But Demyx told him that he'd be doing something until late that night, so Axel would be alone with Roxas for a while til he got back. He was determined to get the two of them to talk, and he wouldn't listen to any of Axel's protests. They were going to talk it out like adults, and that was final.

Axel sighed heavily as he tried to think of what he'd say. He just hoped he was ready for whatever would happen....

Now, he sat under a large oak tree on the east side of campus, trying to work through a couple of nasty calculus problems. They helped take his mind off things a little, but never for too long, and after a while he looked up from his work, tired and frustrated. At least breeze was cool today and the sun was shining; it was only a couple more weeks until summer began, and he'd have a little more time during the day to do other things.

Just then a shadow fell across him and he looked up, slightly annoyed by whoever was interrupting his thoughts. A younger boy with silver hair stood in front of him, dressed nicely but still pretty casually, looking at him intently but not saying anything. Axel sighed, setting his workbook aside. "Can I help you with something?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. You're Axel Kurami, right?"

Axel felt a little on edge for some reason, but he replied calmly. "Yeah, that'd be me. What's up?"

"Sorry i haven't introduced myself before. My name's Riku; I'm an acquaintance of Demyx's."

Axel's eyes widened a little, but he tried to hide his growing alarm. _This must be the guy who came looking for Roxas the other day. _He faked a smile, keeping his voice as level as possible. "Nice to meet you. What can I do for you?"

Riku got right to business, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I know that you are a friend of Roxas's, and I want you to tell me where you hiding him."

Axel blinked in surprise, shocked that the boy was so forward about it. But he maintained his calm well. "I don't know what you're talking about. Last time I checked, Roxas was back in his room at S.I.G.E.......Are you saying he's disappeared?!" He played his part like a natural actor, but Riku saw right through it, and he wasn't amused. He grabbed Axel roughly by the collar of his shirt and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Don't try to pull that crap on me, Axel! You may be able to fool those idiots at the institute, but you won't get past me that easily! So listen up! I'm not a big fan of their work either, but when you stole Roxas, you also stole something very important from the two people in the world I care about most! And, whether you like it or not, I'm going to take him back!"

Axel shoved Riku off of him, and he grabbed his bag and stood up to leave. "I don't know who you think you are, but you've got some nerve to threaten me! Even if I _knew _where Roxas was, I'd never hand him over to cruel, chicken-shit assholes like you! I hope you never find him, he's probably better off wherever he is! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving!"

But before he could leave, Riku barked out a final warning, his voice cold and deadly. "Fine. But just remember, Axel. Whatever happens now, it'll be on your conscience. I _will _be taking him back, and I promise you now that I will take down anyone who stands in my way."


	11. Chapter 11

Axel sorts things out and makes his move, so be forewarned. Hope you like it so far. :)

* * *

Later that day, Sora got back from school and waited until his father was out before putting his plan into action. Riku said something about stopping by later, but he couldn't let his friend catch on if he wanted this to work. He still had a couple of hours, and what little homework he had would have to wait......

Pulling one of the key rings he'd swiped earlier out of his pocket, he went through them slowly until he found the silver one with the small etching of a lion's head on the side. He turned the key and opened the door to his father's office, checking around briefly to make sure nothing was out of place before he crossed the room to the tiny filing cabinet on the right. As Sora pulled out the lowest drawer, he flipped through until he'd found a small, manilla folder labeled "S.I.G.E."

His eyes widened in horror as he looked over the file; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could his father have agreed to something like this? And Riku was in on it too! He'd never asked for any of this!

The whole thing was just sick, and Sora felt his stomach turn the more he thought about it. For a few minutes the boy sat thinking before he pulled out a small notepad and began scribbling little details on it as he looked over the contents of the folder again.

Sora quickly replaced the folder and shut the drawer, making sure nothing had been noticeably disturbed by his intrusion. Leon liked to keep to himself, and he took it personally when people messed with his things without permission, even if it was one of the maids. But no matter how much Sora had always loved and respected his father, he had to know the truth. It was his_ right _to know...

The brunette locked the door again as he left and then sped down the hall and upstairs to his room. A few maids greeted him as he passed by, but the best he gave them was a slight nod and a rushed-out "hi," too focused on his thoughts. He crashed down into the chair in front of his computer hard, typing furiously as soon as he'd hit it. His room was dark, the shades having been pulled when his room was cleaned earlier, and he stared into the bright, glaring screen of his computer as he pulled up the search page. He smiled when the search pulled up exactly what he was looking for. _Got it!_

* * *

Later, Axel came back from work, having had a strange and aggravating day. What Riku had said bothered him a lot, but he was even more puzzled when he got to S.I.G.E. later. He'd come all prepared to act angry and worried that those idiots had let some crazed asshole walk off with Roxas, but when he arrived no one seemed to acknowledge that the boy was missing. Vexen was his usual cheerless self, ordering him around and snapping at his incompetence, but when the red head had asked if he should go get Roxas, the older man's reactions bothered him....

_Earlier:_

_"I'm glad you decided to join me today, Mr. Kurami. I need you to retrieve my medical bag and then head to Room 57 to drop off some forms. We have a few patients to deal with today, so if i catch you shirking off I'll have to report you. Do you understand?"_

_Axel nodded. "Yeah, got it. So, when do you want me to go get Roxas today? Last time I checked, he was due for an examination today."_

_The silvery-blond haired man was still writing on his clipboard as he spoke. "I don't remember giving you permission to look through my files, Mr. Kurami. But, if you are so curious, Patient 13's examination has been cancelled for today. So you needn't concern yourself with that."_

_Axel blinked at him, a little surprised. But his eyes narrowed then. "May I ask why he's not seeing you today?" The older man looked up, sneering at him slightly. "That is none of your business, boy. The care of Patient 13 has been handed over to another division temporarily, and I cannot say when we will be seeing him again. But I don't want to hear any more about this from you, is that clear? We're far too busy with other matters today..."_

Axel hadn't pursued the issue, but he still thought it was strange.

Riku _could_ be working just in the interest of his employer and lover, not necessarily the institute. But if the boy hadn't tipped them off already, what was going on at S.I.G.E.? And the more alarming problem now was: _would_ Riku tip them off if it suited his own needs? That was no idle threat he'd made earlier.....

* * *

Axel pushed the door open to find the apartment dark and quiet as usual. He sighed as he walked in, wondering where Roxas was. He felt bad that he hadn't been able to say anything to him since the incident, and now the younger boy seemed nervous around him all the time. He missed when things had been less complicated; why had he messed everything up by trying to kiss him?

When he made it back to his room, he found Roxas sitting on his bed, gazing out the window at the night sky sadly. A few stars could be seen twinkling in the sky that night, and the sound of crickets chirping filled the room. It was nice and calming, and Axel didn't bother to turn on the lights when he came in.

Roxas looked over at him, the light from the moon and stars seeming to light up his blue eyes. They weren't red any more, but they looked tired and lonely. "Oh, hey Axel. How was work?" He turned his attention back to the window as he finished, and Axel sighed. "It wasn't too bad. Pretty ordinary." He didn't want to worry his friend over what Riku had said or what he had seen at S.I.G.E.

The boy replied blankly, still not looking at him. He could tell Axel wasn't telling him something, though. "That's good."

An awkward silence followed, and after a while Axel moved closer to the boy, looking at him sadly as he sighed. "Look, Roxas.......I'm really sorry about what I did the other night. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I was afraid that I had hurt you, so I ran off like a coward. I hope you can forgive me."

Roxas looked back at him then, his expression still tired and worn. "I'm not mad at you, Axel. I'm just really confused. I always thought that I thought of you as the big brother I never had, but recently I've been wondering if it was more than that.....I felt so conflicted and scared.....and then you just kissed me like that. It felt too good to be true and it made me so happy, but I....."

Axel's eyes widened with hope as he walked closer to Roxas, sitting down on the bed beside him. "Roxas, what are you......"

The boy looked at him, his eyes glistening as if they were calling out to him, begging him to understand. "I still don't know......Is this what love feels like? But, you're a guy! And you're my friend! How could we possibly-"

Axel put his hands on Roxas's shoulders as he looked back into his eyes. He felt like he finally understood then, and he smiled lightly at the younger boy. "Roxas, nothing you say could change the way I feel about you. I felt confused and conflicted too; not because you're a guy, but because you're my friend and my responsibility. You're younger and more vulnerable, and I promised to protect you, but I felt myself being drawn to you when I knew I shouldn't be. When I finally figured out what the feeling was, I felt terrible. And worse, I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way, and would reject me completely."

Roxas's eyes were tearful again. "Axel, I could never do th-"

But the red head stopped him, intent on finishing. "But I understand now, Roxas. I understand that you feel the same, but even if you didn't I'd always be your friend; that's all that matters to me. I don't want to force anything on you, I just want you to be happy."

He could see tears rushing down in the boy's eyes cheeks, and he sighed. He had promised to protect Roxas, but all he ever seemed to do was make him cry.

But the boy looked back up at him, and his expression was warm and sure. "Axel, I _do _feel the same way. I love you so much... But I-"

That was all the red head needed to hear, and he leaned in quickly, capturing the younger boys lips again before he could finish.

This time Roxas didn't fight his emotions; his eyes slipped closed immediately, embracing Axel's touch. He reached his arms up and wrapped them around Axel's neck, sighing with pleasure as he allowed the older boy's tongue to explore his mouth eagerly. It was still a new and strange sensation, and he wasn't sure how to respond, but it wasn't bad. On the contrary, it was wonderful......

Axel began moving his hands down the boy's shoulders, and he pushed Roxas back down against the bed slightly as the heat of his emotions began to take over. Every touch, every move, every sound Roxas made caused his blood to boil like it was living fire. He nipped the boy's lower lip playfully, feeling excited as Roxas moaned softly beneath him. This was what they both wanted, and he was relieved beyond belief that the boy had accepted his feelings. They stayed there in the dark for a while, each delighting in the fact that the other was his and his alone...

But Axel decided to hold back a little, afraid of going too far in one night.

He broke the kiss slowly, pulling back and eliciting a small whine from Roxas as he sat up on his knees, panting slightly. The younger boy lay there panting as well, his face flushed a little with embarrassment as he watched Axel, his chest rising and falling lightly. The only other sound in the room was the ever-present chirping of the crickets that sat outside the window; it was pleasantly peaceful...

The red head chuckled at Roxas, finally having caught his breath. "Sorry, I lied earlier. There _was _some stuff that happened today and I was a little stressed out. I don't want to push you further than you're ready to go, especially not when I when I'm too stressed to enjoy it..."

Roxas sat up, glaring at him slightly. "What was that about not making _you_ worry last time?! Please tell me things, Axel. I want to help you. I know I can't do much, but I still...."

The red head smiled, ruffling the boy's hair and playing with the already messy spikes. "Alright kid, I get it. Just chill out a little, okay?"

The blond was annoyed now; he tried to swipe Axel hand away while the red head laughed at him. "Could you stop calling me kid, Axel?! How am I supposed to expect that you take me seriously when you always-"

A knock came from the front door, causing both boys to snap their attention to the hall. Axel looked back at Roxas quickly. It couldn't be Demyx; the older boy had a key...

"Roxas, stay right here and keep out of sight. If you hear me cough twice, that means to get in the closet. And I want you to promise me that even if you hear something going down out there, you'll keep quiet and stay put until they're gone. Okay?"

The boy was about to protest, but one look from Axel stopped him. The older boy's eyes were begging him to trust him, narrowing in seriousness and slight fear, and Roxas nodded stiffly as he got off the bed and moved over to stand by the closet. He didn't take his eyes off Axel as the red head left the room, but as soon as he was gone Roxas backed into the wall and slid down into a sitting position. His cheeks burned a little as he waited, listening.....

* * *

Axel, seemingly satisfied by the boy's answer, shut the door behind him and walked over to peak through the hole in the front door. If it was Riku, Axel swore he would deck him in the face before he got anywhere near Roxas.....

But he was slightly relieved to see that it wasn't Riku. A brown-haired boy stood waiting at the front door, glancing around once or twice, unaware that Axel was watching him. He looked about the same age as Roxas. He was twirling a a lock of spiky hair with his finger nervously, and he jumped a little as the red head opened the door.

His voice was calm, sounding a little bored as he asked. "Yeah, can I help you?"

The boy looked up at him desperately. "I'm sorry it's late, but please....I know you're Axel Kurami, and I know about the whole thing with S.I.G.E. Please, I really need to talk to Roxas."


	12. Chapter 12

Axel gaped at the younger boy, not sure if he should try to deny his claim or just slam the door shut. The brunette was weaker than him, so if he needed to, he could knock him out and maybe then he could grab Roxas and make a run for it. Several plans were forming in his head at once as he realized who the other boy was. He'd briefly read a description of Roxas's benefactor in the file Xigbar had given him, and the boy in front of him seemed to match that description word for word. This had to be Sora, that psycho Riku's little boyfriend.....

His thoughts were disrupted when he heard the door of his room open and someone coming up behind him slowly.

Axel's could have smacked Roxas for his stupidity! He felt his eyes widening in fear as he looked back, moving to block the blond-haired boy from view as best he could.

"What the hell did I just say, kid?! I just told you to-"

But Roxas ignored him. He'd heard everything they'd said, and now he came up to stand beside Axel and face the brunette, staring into bright blue eyes that perfectly matched his own. They were wide and innocent, and the more he looked into them, the more Roxas seemed sure that the other boy was not a threat to him. At least not right now. But then, why was he here?

The brunette looked at him thoughtfully, silent for a long time before he spoke. "Roxas......"

The blond's face was composed and serious; he felt like all that had happened that night had left him feeling emotionally drained and tired. He stepped away from the door, pushing Axel aside also as he motioned to the other boy. "Why don't you come in?"

* * *

Sora followed the two boys inside slowly, heading into the living room where Roxas offered him a seat on the couch. Axel stood with his back against the wall by the door, his arms crossed and his expression pouting and distrustful. The brunette sighed. _I wonder if he'll let me leave when this is over?_

He moved his attention back to Roxas, who sat down slowly on a chair right beside the couch. The other boy sat still, waiting to hear what Sora was going to say.

After another short silence, Sora spoke. "Roxas, I'm glad I finally got to meet you. I don't...really know where to begin."

Roxas looked at him kindly, trying to smile. "Well, we could start with an intro. You know my name already."

Sora blinked, confused for a second. Roxas already seemed to sense what was going on, and Axel definitely knew who he _was_. He smiled sadly. "My name is Sora. I guess you already know why I'm here then, huh?"

The blond was about to speak when Axel suddenly stepped forward, his voice harsh and full of anger. "You're the one who caused all this! You and your family! How could you have possibly agreed to something like that? Roxas was just an innocent kid trying to get by, and thanks to you he ended up kidnapped by those heartless bastards over at S.I.G.E. Do you have any idea of the pain you put him through? All the things you took away-"

"Axel, that's enough! Stop it!"

The red head snapped his attention back to Roxas, surprised by the interruption. The voice that was so sweet and small before was now replaced by an angry, commanding tone. The boy glared at him, his expression completely serious. Axel grudgingly moved back to the wall, trying to contain his anger when he heard Sora begin to sob.

The brunette's eyes were full of tears as he looked at Roxas, his voice sounding bitter and a little betrayed. "He's right, though! My _own_ father was the one who set up the contract, and Riku was in on it the whole time too!"

He looked down at the floor bitterly as his hand gripped the arm of the couch tightly. "I didn't know anything until now, but that's a poor excuse. I don't have the right to ask you to forgive any of us for what happened, and I can't ever hope to make it up to you. But I still had to see you, and say it.......I'm so sorry, Roxas. I can't imagine how much you must hate me." His shoulders shook and he brought his hands up over his eyes, trying his best to hide his shame as he cried. He didn't deserve anyone's sympathy......

But he was taken by surprise when Roxas came over and sat down next to him, grasping his shoulders lightly but firmly. The boy looked him in the eyes; they were sad, but full of warmth and comfort. "Sora... I can't tell you that it's okay, but I _can_ tell you it wasn't your fault. You didn't choose this any more than I did. And there isn't anything we can do about the past now."

Sora was shocked by how calm and understanding Roxas was. The brunette had come here willingly, preparing to be yelled at, punched, hated....but the person he was expecting it to come from had barely overreacted at all since he showed up! Roxas was talking to the person responsible for his kidnapping, the person for whose life he would have been killed to save, if that were necessary, and yet the blond spoke to him like he was comforting an old friend in mourning or something! Sora was completely baffled.

Roxas continued speaking. "I know you were expecting me to be angry with you, and in truth I _am _a little; it's natural to feel that way after all that's happened. But you could have ignored the whole thing or pretended you didn't know anything about it, and you didn't. Instead, you came here to admit your mistakes and apologize, and that makes all the difference in the world. That's why, no matter how I feel, I could never hate you, Sora."

Sora couldn't take it anymore; he practically threw himself at Roxas, holding him tightly as he cried into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Roxas!" He still felt terrible, but somehow Roxas had managed to make him feel like, at least someday, things would be okay.

The blond returned the hug, not entirely surprised when he felt the tears beginning to roll down his own cheeks. _I guess I wasn't as drained as I thought I was. Either that, or crying' s pretty contagious....... _

Roxas blinked back a few tears, glaring slightly as his thoughts turned back to all the other people who were suffering. S.I.G.E. was the real evil here, destroying lives and dreams just as they had done to Namine. It wasn't Sora or Riku, or even Sora's father, even though he _had_ supported their actions. What the institute did was wrong, and someday soon, they would have to be stopped. The boy felt like a coward for having run away, but he made a promise that he'd grow to be a stronger person, and then he would fight back and speak out against S.I.G.E. He owed it to everyone; Namine, Axel, the other patients, and also to himself........

Axel watched the two boys quietly, his expression softening a little despite his mood. First Roxas pulled that stupid stunt back there, and now he was forgiving the other boy so quickly, even after all that had happened! Axel wasn't sure if _he_ could ever forgive Sora, whether or not it was really his fault. But it was clear to him that this was closure that both the boys needed, and so he held his peace as Roxas and Sora sobbed quietly, each offering support and healing the other's wounds little by little....

* * *

After a while the peace was shattered by a loud ringing that sounded off in the living room. All three boys jumped, and Sora immediately began searching his pockets until he pulled out a small, black cellphone. It was a pretty nice phone, with a Way to Dawn key charm hanging on the side which Riku had given him for his birthday one year. Looking at the caller ID, Sora's eyes widened a bit fearfully when he saw that that was the very person who was calling him now. _Damn, I forgot! I stayed out too late without telling anyone where I was! Dad's gonna have a fit again!_

Roxas looked apprehensive, and Axel glared at him threateningly as he answered the phone. "Hey, Riku. No....no, I'm fine, I'm fine! I just had a school project to finish up at a friend's house....... I know.... I know, I should have taken someone with me! Sorry!......"

Roxas listened to him talk, holding his breath and feeling too nervous to move. It wasn't that he didn't trust Sora; he was just afraid of what would happen if Riku came looking for the other boy. Glancing over briefly, he noticed that Axel looked like he was prepared to charge if there was any sign of a threat. _Please let Riku just stay at home, please let Riku just stay at home...._

Sora continued. " No.......no, you don't need to do that! I'll just........Fine.....okay, yeah, that's fine........Okay, I'll meet you on third street........yeah, gimme twenty minutes.........Okay, bye!" He hung up the phone then, and everyone sighed a little in relief that the crisis had been averted.

Sora looked back at Axel, making sure the red head would really let him go. "Third street is seven blocks away, so he shouldn't suspect anything. I know you don't really trust me, but I swear I won't tell anyone about Roxas! No one even knows that I know about the contract yet........."

Axel looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded silently as Roxas put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "It's okay, Sora. I trust you...........," Then, a little more shyly, he added, "Maybe, when this whole thing blows over...do you think we could be friends?"

Sora blinked back at him, confused again, but then he smiled back. He should be expecting this by now; Roxas was a pretty weird kid. "Sure, Roxas.....I'd like that. You're a nice guy...I know I don't deserve your- ow, hey!" The blond elbowed him hard in the ribs, and he winced as he rubbed the sore spot. He glared back at Roxas, who was smiling brightly. "It's in the past, remember? Just shut up and go see your boyfriend already!"

Sora grinned back at him. "Okay, okay. I get the picture."

As Roxas opened the front door for him, the brunette stopped and whispered to him. "You're lucky to have a friend like Axel. Please don't be too mad at him; he just cares about you a lot is all." Roxas was still annoyed by Axel's rudeness earlier, but he couldn't help looking down at the floor guiltily. He _had _ignored his friend's request, even after he'd promised to stay safe...

Sora looked at him quizzically for a minute, then glanced back and forth between him and the red head. Axel raised an eyebrow slightly, obviously clueless of Sora's thoughts, and when the brunette looked back he noticed Roxas's eyes seemed to dart away from the older boy immediately as he blushed lightly. Sora thought he had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and he chuckled at Roxas as he whispered. "Well, it's good to see S.I.G.E. hasn't affected your love life. Good luck, man!" He grinned even as Roxas pushed him out the door and slammed it behind him.

The brunette smiled as he looked over his shoulder one last time, and then he walked off down the street, intent to be well away from here by the time his over-protective boyfriend found him.

* * *

Roxas locked the door behind him and turned to face Axel. The red head had barely moved an inch away from the wall, and he looked back at Roxas, his voice tired but angry.

"What the hell did I just tell you earlier?! Don't you ever do anything stupid like that again! What if that had been Riku?!" It never did him any good to snap at the boy, but he wanted Roxas to know how much he'd scared him.

The boy sighed, doing what he could to calm Axel down. He still felt guilty, and he was too tired to argue at this point. "I know, you're right. I'm sorry I didn't listen earlier. But can youplease try to be nicer to Sora from now on? He feels bad enough for being in the dark about it for so long."

Axel looked at him intently for a moment, and then he sighed too, conceding. "As long as you're happy, Rox. If you trust him, I'll try to trust him too. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Roxas smiled, walking over quickly to give him a big, warm hug. "I know. I'll be careful." Axel blinked down at him briefly before slowly returning the gesture, letting out another sigh. He had a feeling the younger boy was just trying to soften him up with his affection, but he didn't really care. What could he say? _He's a cute kid......just not a very smart one. _

After a few minutes, he put his arm around the blond's shoulder and together they walked back to Axel's room, completely beat after such an eventful night.....

* * *

Roxas flopped down on his makeshift bed and nestled deeper into the warm blankets, thinking about all the strange things that had happened. Axel had fallen asleep as soon as he had hit the pillow, and now the red head snored peacefully on the bed above him. The younger boy chuckled as he listened to his love mumble softly in his sleep. The words rolled over in his mind as he remembered earlier. _I love you so much, Axel_..........

The red head had a bit of a dark side, as Roxas had seen today, but he was also a very kind and caring person. Roxas had sympathized with Sora in that he felt like he'd piled up a debt he could never repay, as Axel had never really asked anything of him despite all that he'd done. It seemed right now like the _only _thing the boy could offer him was his love and devotion, and even with such small things Axel had accepted them gratefully. He even loved Roxas back, a secret wish that the younger boy had never dreamed could come true.

Roxas sat up and laid his arms across the edge of the bed, resting his head as he watched Axel. The moonlight made Axel look pale and even more beautiful, and Roxas smiled at him. He reached out a little, brushing a few strands of red hair from Axel's face as his thoughts wandered aimlessly. His freedom may be limited to the apartment for a little while longer, but he was happy to be anywhere if the red head would be by his side.

Roxas watched Axel for a long time before he found himself slowly drifting off to sleep.....

* * *

Riku had come back to his dorm after another late night of sparring practice. He felt bad about skipping out on visiting Sora today, but as he sat down on the couch and checked the messages on his phone, his ears were assaulted by a loud stream of panicked yelling coming from his speaker. Now he drove his old, beat-up red Toyota Corolla as quickly as he could over to third street, heading to pick up his thoughtless, idiotic, wayward boyfriend.

His phone was ringing in the cup holder beside him, but he chose to ignore it and spare what was left of his ear drums. Leon always got a bit irrational whenever his son was involved, and Riku was feeling tense enough as it is. It was late at night in a weird part of town; as soon as he made sure Sora was okay, he was going to kick his ass into next week for worrying him.

Sure enough, the brunette was waiting for him on the curb as he drove up, arms behind his head as he rested against the brick wall of the old volunteer fire department building. Sora walked over to the car and climbed in, though he seemed a little less cheerful and energetic than usual. He just seemed calm, and more than a little tired; he yawned and curled up on the seat slightly, resting his head against the car door as Riku drove off.

The older boy wasn't going to just let him get away with this without a good rant. Sometimes he felt more like the boy's mother rather than his boyfriend.

"Sora, how many times have I told you not to be wandering around on your own? You're always complaining about how I nag you, but then you turn around and do stupid shit anyway! Next time you should really let someone know when you run off somewhere, so people don't worry as much." Sora winced inwardly at Riku's tone, but he nodded with a small smile as his eyes drooped lower. "Sorry, Riku. I won't do it again....."

The silver-haired boy was about to say something, when he noticed that Sora had pretty much passed out next to him. That was a little weird, given that this was Sora he was dealing with, but Riku sighed. "_Sure_ you won't." He decided to give it up and let him sleep, knowing that even his exhaustion couldn't save the boy from his father's deadly wrath the minute they got back.

Even if Sora's behavior seemed a little off tonight, his pension for stupid ideas was nothing new. The younger boy was completely incorrigible; he'd run off randomly a lot when they were kids, forcing Riku to go find him and drag him back home each time. Sora never seemed to understand that his father's wealth and position made him a potential target of attention for all the wrong people. But despite Riku's worries, he had to admit that Sora always made sure there was never a dull moment for either of them. Maybe that's why he'd fallen for the boy; though he wasn't completely sure how he had in the first place.

_Oh well. At least he's okay for right now. _

Riku reached a hand over and pated his head, smiling a little as he drove. Whatever weird or stupid situations Sora got himself into, the older boy promised to always be there to bust him out. And right now, as far as he knew at least, the brunette didn't even know how much more vulnerable he was, since Roxas had disappeared. Leon's pay and support was only a part of his drive. Above all else, he wanted to protect the life and happiness of the one who had become his hope and light......


	13. Chapter 13

I think I have a weird habit of making my 13th chapters full of length exposition.....But here you go! :) R&R please

Reference

Hanyou: Half-Demon

* * *

Axel woke up that morning late, the sunlight shining in his eyes more than a slight annoyance. He could hear Demyx doing something in the kitchen, and that made his stomach grumble when he remembered he hadn't eaten dinner last night. As he opened his eyes and rolled over, he was a little surprised when he almost smacked into Roxas, who was sleeping with his head on his arms precariously at the northern edge of the bed. The red head blinked as his mind slowly registered the boy in front of him, and then he smiled. He watched the boy lovingly for a few minutes before he decided to move, reaching out to poke Roxas as he sat up.

"Morning, Rox. It's time to get up." But the boy remained mostly dead to the world, only mumbling a few garbled pleas that sounded something like "five more minutes," and Axel laughed. Since coming here, Roxas was quickly developing the habit of sleeping in later and later. But there was no harm in letting him, since he didn't have much to do around the apartment anyway. _And it's not like he can leave....._

Axel felt sad as he thought that, but soon he had knelt down to where Roxas sat on the floor and pulled the boy gently back off the side of the bed. He lifted him easily, and instead of laying him back on the floor he set him down on the mattress. He wished he could offer Roxas a comfier place to sleep at night, but he figured that this morning, since he wasn't using it now anyway, he may as well let the younger boy have it for a little while.

Roxas stirred slightly as he was moved, but that wasn't enough to wake him up just yet. Axel pulled the blankets up around him and then turned to open the window a little for some fresh air. Pleasant bird calls filled the air outside and the smell of freshly mowed grass and dew drifted into the room; Axel took a deep breath as he enjoyed every minute of it. The sky was a bright, cloudless blue under a blazing sun; spring was in full force that day.

As he turned back to the sleeping boy, Axel smiled and leaned in, kissing him softly on the head before getting up to go find breakfast. He sighed as he passed the To-Do List posted on his door; his mood soured considerably when he remembered he had agreed to pull multiple shifts at work. And over at S.I.G.E., Vexen seemed to be enjoying running him ragged everyday. It looked like it was going to be a long work week.......

As he shut the door behind him, he missed seeing the pair of bright blue orbs that watched him tenderly, even as they shook off the sleepy haze clouding them.

Roxas blinked slowly, smiling at the door. "Morning, Axel...."

* * *

_Leon rushed right over after he'd received the call from the hospital that evening. His wife and young son had gotten into a horrible car accident on the way back from a shopping trip, and he desperately wanted to make sure they were okay......_

_When he reached the room where the two of them were being treated, the doctors forced him to stay back as others went rushing back and forth from the room. It would be a while before the doctors could be certain of the seriousness of their conditions, so Leon had to sit in the waiting room for a few hours. He held his head in his hands, praying to God that things would be alright as the time ticked by slowly. _

_He and Rinoa had been married for seven short but wonderful years, only made better when Sora had been born. He was so beautiful the day they brought him home from the hospital; the light he radiated was almost angelic. Rinoa had named him, claiming that his heart was as big and vast as the bright blue sky, and the brilliant shade of his eyes seemed to add to her enthusiasm. Leon had smiled and given his approval, and Sora seemed to like the name too, cooing and smiling slightly as his eyes glimpsed the big, new world for the first time. _

_The two of them had watched him grow, proud as their little boy learned to walk and talk so quickly. Leon had a great picture of them that his friend Cloud had taken one day; they stood in their backyard in the prime of spring, as everything around glowed in full bloom, the leaves a lively shade of green. His arm was wrapped around Rinoa warmly, pulling her close as she held a giggling three year-old Sora in her arms. They had all smiled so brightly that day; was it really only a few weeks ago?_

* * *

_Leon jumped up quickly and ran to the doctor who came out to greet him; he couldn't take the stress of waiting any longer. The man spoke to him calmly, but the sadness was clear in his tone. Leon tried to prepare for the worst, but he wasn't sure he could live with the worst._

_"We were able to save your son; right now he is suffering from some respiratory problems and a few minor bruises, but as long as we monitor him closely, we believe he will be fine in a couple of days. It was a miracle that he didn't take more of the damage. But, I'm sorry to say, we were unable to save your wife. She is dead." _

_Leon's eyes widened in horror and pain as the man continued. "She took the worst of the damage, so we believe she may have been trying to protect your son when the full force of the car hit her. There were numerous bruises and a couple broken bones, but she took severe damage to her cerebral cortex and that was followed by internal bleeding. I'm truly sorry, Mr. Hikari. We did what we could."_

_The man shouted after him as he ran, bursting into the operating room to the sound of one long, unending beep that seemed to shatter the quiet. _

_"Rinoa! Oh God....This can't be happening!" He ran to the table where she lay, unable to keep from weeping uncontrollably as he gazed at the sight. She was cold and pale in his arms, and her body was covered in bruises and scars. He almost couldn't recognize her. The doctors rushed in and pulled him away, and Leon struggled against them as he continued to call out her name long after they had gotten him back down the hall......._

_Later, when he was more composed, Leon was allowed to visit Sora. The boy was in what looked like a large glass case, his breathing harsh and labored despite the life support system he was strapped in to. He was so tiny, looking even more small and fragile now. Sora looked up at him weakly, raising a hand slowly to press against the glass. His eyes seemed to convey his fear. _**Dad, I'm scared.**

_His heart broke for the second time as he watched his son fight for his life. He put a hand on the glass over the boy's, hoping that he offered him some comfort with the gesture. Leon was far beyond devastated, and he clung to Sora now as if the boy were his own lifeline, keeping him from drowning in a sea of deep despair. He gave Leon a reason to live on, and the man watched him constantly, painful tears growing in his eyes. But he would never let his son see him cry; he was too proud for that......._

* * *

_Riku came by to visit one day, and he stayed with Leon as they watched Sora sleep. He still needed the life support, although his breathing was slowly returning to normal, and his other little injuries were quickly disappearing. _

_Riku watched the boy sadly. "Sora.......He'll be alright, won't he sir?" _

_Leon looked down at the silver-haired boy, his voice calmer than it had been in recent days. "Yes, Riku. We just have to keep believing that he'll come through. I'm counting on it......"_

_A silence followed, until a few minutes later Riku spoke again. "I hate to see him like this...."_

_"I know. But I promise you both, here and now, that I will do everything I can to keep him from harm. I won't ever let him be hurt like this again."_

_Riku looked up at him intently then, icy blue eyes as determined as his voice. "Then I promise too. We''ll protect him together." And the little boy meant every word._

* * *

Leon woke up slowly, groaning slightly as he sat up at his desk. It wasn't the first time he'd had that dream, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. Was it so close to that time already?

It had been two weeks since the night Sora had disappeared, only to be brought back by Riku the next morning. He'd given his son a good earful for that, but he highly doubted the boy had listened. Sora was both blessed and cursed with a energetic, curious nature, and that meant that a lot of the time he couldn't sit still or focus for very long.

Leon smiled sadly as he picked up the familiar picture off his desk, gazing at the happy faces from long ago. It had taken a while for him to be able to smile again, and most of that he owed to Sora. The promise he'd made that day with Riku rang clear in his mind, and he set the picture back down before reaching to pick up the phone. He'd let this little game go on long enough.

* * *

Xemnas sat in his office that day, listening intently as Vexen explained the new procedure he was seeking to implement. The scientist was _really _quite brilliant; he might have done well in the world had he sought to use his talents otherwise. In his earlier years he'd been known as Even Hanyou, and he was well-respected despite his young age. However, his goals were not appreciated by the rest of the scientific community, and at the age of 27 he was tried and sentenced to life in prison point for illegal medical testing on children.

He managed to escape from prison at age 29 and change his name and face, but then he was forced on the run, as the police put out warrants for his arrest in every district. That was when Xemnas had found him, sleeping in a dark back alley in the dead of winter. He offered the man a chance to work and change the world, in a more gradual way, and so together with Saix the three of them began to set down the very foundations of S.I.G.E. all those years ago.......

After his presentation, Vexen returned to his own office to prepare for his other patients, leaving Xemnas to himself. He sat quietly writing a brief memo to leave Saix, who was out for the day on a personal errand, when the phone rang beside him. He reached out and pressed the speaker button, answering it. He sighed a little as he read the caller ID. "Yes, Leon?"

"Xemnas.....when are you going to do something about my investment? It has been several weeks since Roxas disappeared, and you have not called at all to even let me know that you are making headway! How can you expect me to keep paying and support S.I.G.E.'s endeavors when I can't even be guaranteed a little security in my own contract with you?!"

He smirked a little as he answered. "I admit that we haven't been as free to move about in the district recently for various reasons, one of which was involving the Nakaguri girl that I know is an acquaintance of yours. But we have been watching our prime suspects closely within the institute, monitoring their behavior and waiting for the opportune time to strike. I assume your little leech informed you of said persons already?"

Leon was trying to force his hand in this matter, as he did in all matters whenever he could. The problem with a rich and powerful clientele was that they always presumed they could bully you if they simply tossed enough money around. The man also tried to use a young boy named Riku that he'd managed to sneak into S.I.G.E. under the guise of wanting a job, getting him to dig up anything he could find to use against them. Well, Xemnas knew one thing for sure; there was a certain someone who would be taken off the hiring committee before he could recommend any more problem factors to the institute.

_Ah, Xigbar, what a wonderful sense of humor you have. I'll have to thank you soon for that troublesome redhead that you invited in on our little operation as well._

All of these were but minor setbacks, however, and he was preparing to take action even before hearing Leon's demands. The man sighed on the other end of the phone. "The _prime _suspect is a twenty-one year-old male named Axel Kurami. He currently attends the university number O13."

Xemnas smiled wider. "So you _have _been doing your homework, I see. Well, we have gathered enough intel and prepared an appropriate counter-strike. Mr. Kurami is keeping the boy in his apartment complex on the far side of town, which is virtually uninhabited other than a few known residents and is back in an area surrounded by trees back off of the main road. The boys are unarmed and unsuspecting, and if all goes well today we should have reclaimed the boy by this evening."

Leon sighed. "And what will happen to Axel Kurami?"

The reply he gave was short and sweet, the tone in his voice dark. "It's really better that you don't know, Leon. The boy knows too much already to be allowed to wander around, and he still needs to be taught a good lesson for stealing your property and threatening our business. I would be careful with how much I let that other boy sniff around as well; he's too smart for his own good and that might get him into trouble."

Leon was silent for a while, no doubt taking in the full meaning of his little threat, and Xemnas glanced absently at his nails while he waited for an answer. Finally after a few minutes, the man responded, trying to mask how tired and defeated he sounded by flaring his voice up slightly in anger. "Fine, I wont ask......and I'll pull Riku out as soon as you get Roxas back. Just make sure it's done." The phone hung up abruptly.

Xemnas chuckled slightly, always enjoying a chance to rattle the troublesome man. But now it was time to get down to business. There were people to retrieve, memories to wipe......oh, so much to do in so little time.....

He reached out to push a button under his desk, and a gruff voice grunted in response on his phone speaker. He spoke purposefully. "Xaldin. I have a little something I want you to pick up for me. Please send out the B team immediately; I'm faxing you the coordinates as we speak....."


	14. Chapter 14

Sora watched the setting sun impatiently as he waited for Riku to pick him up for the movie. Deciding to do something useful, he browsed through his text messages, deleting all the old ones Kairi and Wakka had sent him in the last two months. He found a couple from Riku too, but none of them were new. Sighing and snapping the phone closed, he got up from the couch and walked back to his father's office, wondering if he was still busy with work.

As he approached the door and was about to knock, the brunette suddenly heard slightly raised voices coming from inside. One of them was Riku's, which explained why his phone had been busy when he'd tried to call him a few minutes ago, and Sora could tell his voice was on speaker. Leaning against the door, he found he could hear the voices a little better...

"Xemnas promised that he would have Roxas back by tonight, but I'm not entirely convinced that he can get the job done. He and his men have been utterly incompetent so far. I'm really sorry to mess up your evening, Riku..."

He heard his boyfriend respond over the speaker, slightly static and muffled. "No, it's okay Mr. Hikari. I understand; this mission is more important. I'll get right on it."

As he then heard his father hang up the phone, Sora leaned on the door too heavily, causing it to fall open and send him tumbling to the floor. He yelped as he hit it hard, unaware for a moment that he was now in plain sight in his father's office.

"Sora?" When he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw that Leon was staring down at him, his face both surprised and nervous. He quickly tried to start up a conversation in an obvious attempt to distract him. "Listen, I know that you were looking forward to going out with Riku tonight, but he just called and-"

"What are you planning to do to Roxas?"

Leon's choked, completely shocked. Sora got up quickly and walked over to him, his eyes accusing with a mix of horror and anger. How could he possibly have known about Roxas? Did that also mean he knew...

"Tell me what you're planning, Dad! Please! Don't keep me in the dark anymore!" Sora was shaking him desperately as the tears began to flow down his cheeks. Leon just gaped back at him, taking him by the shoulders as he spoke.

"Sora, how did you know that name?"

The brunette raised his voice louder as he turned to leave, slapping his father's hands away. "Fine, don't tell me! But I'm not just gonna sit here and let you hurt him!"

Suddenly a firm hand grasped his shoulder, and Leon began trying to calm him down. "Sora...I don't know how you knew about Roxas, but you need to understand! I'm only doing this to protect you! I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you, especially not after your mother-"

His voice became quieter as he said her name, but Sora shrugged him off quickly and kept walking. He only stopped once he had reached the door, and he looked back at his father with a mingled look of disgust, shame, and sorrow. His voice was cruel and biting.

"No, _you_ don't understand, Dad! This isn't right! None of it! Roxas isn't some animal that you can dissect whenever the hell you want! He's a person, a kid just like me, and more importantly, he's my friend!" When Leon just gaped at him in shock, he sighed angrily. "If you won't help me, I'll find go him myself!"

With that, Sora was gone. Leon heard the front door slam closed, but he buried his head in his hands and sobbed. His son was right; everything he had done had been wrong. Because of him, someone so young and hopeful had gone through so much, much more than should be expected of any child. He had hurt a helpless, innocent child, all in the name of his son and dead wife. How could he not have seen that Sora would never have wanted this? Rinoa would never have wanted this. He should never have gotten involved with that crooked organization...

He sat for a while alone in his office, angry and ashamed of himself for his selfishness and pride. But then he picked himself up, and walked back over to the phone on his desk, dialing a number hurriedly. He began to sweat a little as he waited for the ring. Riku's cellphone would be running low on batteries by now; he just hoped he'd reach the boy before it was too late...

* * *

Roxas lay stretched out on Axel's bed, reading a book he'd swiped off the shelf as he waited for the red head to come home. He'd spent the day lounging around in a grey t-shirt that was a little too big for him and blue jeans with holes in the knees, hardly ever leaving the room at all. It was getting later now; Demyx was still working in the kitchen, heating up yet another t.v. dinner for himself as he studied. Roxas listened to the crickets outside as he read by the dimming moonlight, content to be in his own little world a little longer...

A while later he looked up quickly in surprise; he hadn't even heard Axel come in until he had already closed the bedroom door. But he smiled at the red head, looking back down at his book as he spoke. "Hey, Axel. You're kinda late tonight. Rough day at work?"

Axel didn't respond; instead he shrugged his backpack off and it fell to the floor with a loud thud. He walked over to the bed and threw himself down on it as he sighed, burying his face in the pillow and stretching himself out beside Roxas. The blond didn't look up from his book again. "Sounds rough. I'm sorry. At least it was a pretty nice day though." Not that he could go out and enjoy it, he thought with a slight hint of bitterness. If it weren't for this book he'd found, he'd probably have been knocking holes in the walls with his head all day to try and alleviate his boredom...

Axel still said nothing, rolling onto his side facing Roxas's back and watching him as the younger boy continued reading. Roxas gasped slightly in surprise when the red head suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close, resting his head on the boy's neck lightly. "Whatcha readin?"

"It's just something I pulled off your shelf earlier. It's called The Malazan Book of the Fallen; I'd never heard of it before, but it's pretty good. Did you like it when you read it?" Axel had closed his eyes, and he breathed softly down the boy's neck. "Mmhmm... "

Roxas looked back at him then, sighing slightly in annoyance. "Ax, you haven't been drinking, have you? Was that why you were out late tonight?"

The older boy shook his head, a tangled mass of red spikes shaking with him like a lion's mane. He looked pretty beat. "Nah...just tired...long day..."

He pulled Roxas even closer until the boy was lying close to his chest, and Axel began kissing him softly up and down his neck. Roxas turned back to look at him, whining a little as Axel nuzzled him. "Ax...come on, cut it out...Please? I'm trying to read..." But Axel ignored him, tightening his grip around the boy as Roxas attempted half-heartedly to shrug him off. After a minute though, he sighed and gave up, turning over until he was on his side facing the red head. But his minor irritation soon melted away as he gazed into those bright green eyes.

Axel moved a hand to his face, caressing it gently as he kissed him. It was short but sweet, and soon he returned to Roxas's neck again, tugging his shirt slightly out of the way to expose the soft, pale flesh. He moved down the boy's neck to his right shoulder, nipping him occasionally as he went.

Roxas whimpered now and then as Axel pinched his skin, and he felt the heat building up in his cheeks again. The book he'd been reading slid off the bed and landed open on the floor, now completely forgotten. Nothing else matter to him right now as Axel held him; How did he always seem to do that?

When the red head looked down and saw the boy blushing and moaning beneath him, he grinned triumphantly, his passion beginning to burn inside of him again. He stroked the boy's head lovingly as he leaned in to kiss his lips again, his tongue instantly granted entry. Roxas sighed and closed his eyes slowly, letting the red head do what he wanted...

After a while Axel broke the kiss and lifted Roxas slightly so that the boy lay on top of him. Roxas rested his head on his chest, panting slightly as Axel continued to stroke his head. His blue eyes were so dazzling in the dim light.

Roxas sighed and smiled as he caught his breath, wishing the moment could last forever. The older boy watched him, laughing a little at how something so small seemed to make him so happy. Roxas glared up at him slightly, his face still red as he raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, Rox. You're just so cute when you sigh like that." The boy's eyes darted away instantly and his blush deepened, making Axel chuckle again. Tormenting the younger boy was just too much fun, and it had definitely improved his mood after such a long day.

"I love you, Rox. I really do..."

* * *

They stayed in the darkness for a long time, listening quietly to the sounds of the night outside, and all the while Roxas's eyes drooped heavily. Soon he had fallen asleep in Axel's arms, and the red head watched him doze peacefully, content to just stay there with him forever. Screw work, screw school; he was perfectly happy right here. He leaned down and kissed the boy's cheek softly, eyes sweeping over every beautiful detail of his face. He deserved to have a long and happy life, not be used in some freaks' experiments...

Axel jumped a little when he heard a loud knock at the front door. Who in the hell could it be this late in at night?

Demyx called back to them, laughing a little as he said he'd get it. Axel's eyes narrowed at his door slightly; his roommate would probably be teasing him about this all week. A small yawn caught his attention then, and the red head looked down as Roxas began to stir in his arms, blinking hazily up at him in confusion. "Someone...at the door...?"

Axel smiled down at him; the little blond sounded like a zombie. Blank with a capital "B."

"Demyx said he'd get it. Go back to sleep, kid..."

Roxas nodded blankly, nestling back into Axel's chest. It was so warm and comfortable...

But just then, the both of them were shaken awake by a loud yell and a steadily-increasing pounding at the front door. Roxas looked up at the red head fearfully. "What was th- hey!" Axel shot up and off the bed, dropping Roxas unceremoniously as he ran to the door of his room and slipped out. There was a weird moment of silence as the boy waited for Axel to come back, worrying that something terrible had happened. He practically jumped when Axel opened the door and called back frantically over his shoulder.

"You sure you'll okay with this, Demyx?"

The older blond grunted in reply from down the hall; it sounded like he was trying to move something heavy. "Yeah, I'll be fine! Just worry about yourselves!"

He nodded back at his friend as he came back in and closed the door quickly behind him. Roxas sat there staring, his eyes wide and his heart pounding. "A-Axel, what's going on?"

Axel ran to the window and thrust it open quickly, eyes narrowing in all seriousness. "There's no time! We need to get out of here now!"

"W-What? But why?"

"S.I.G.E. found us out! They're right at the door!"

The younger boy was didn't move for a minute, eyes widening in horror. He couldn't believe it. Not that he was on the outside, they couldn't just force him to go back!

Could they?

The pounding got louder, and muffled shouts could be heard through the thin walls. Axel grabbed him roughly by the arm, and pushed him towards the open window. "Come on, kid! We need to get going!"

"But what about Demyx-"

"No time! Just go!"

Roxas pushed himself through the small frame and looked out the window hesitantly. They were on the third floor of the building, which meant it was a considerable drop to the ground below if he got careless or lost his footing. He gulped as he looked down. _How does Axel expect us to climb down from here?_

But then he noticed one of the trees close beside the wall of the building, and he suddenly understood. "Axel, that won't work! It's too far! Those branches won't be able to hold us bo-"

He yelped as he felt something ram into his back suddenly, knocking him forward and out through the window. Luckily the boy was able to grab one of the branches before he fell and broke his neck, but he dangled from it weakly, feeling his hands slipping slowly. They were sweaty, and no matter what he tried he couldn't get a better grip.

"Axel!"

He looked over at the window for help, but Axel had slammed it closed with one last yell, ordering him to run away. Then the shade was pulled quickly, the red head completely obscured from his sight. He called out to him desperately. What was he doing? Why wasn't Axel coming with him?

Roxas yelped again as the branch he was clinging to snapped and he fell, hitting a few branches on the way down that helped to cushion his fall. But they only helped so much as he was scratched and smacked around, and when he finally hit the ground with a loud thud, he cried out in pain. Something felt like it had snapped, and his eyes watered as he tried to stand up. The world was suddenly becoming dark and fuzzy, and as he fought his best to stay conscious Roxas could only think about Axel, hoping he would be alright. He was working so hard to protect him, but Roxas knew he couldn't do anything right. He felt terrible for failing him like this...

His eyes closed against his will and he laid there sprawled out at the base of the tree, unaware of the fierce battle brewing upstairs.

* * *

Axel turned back to the door as he heard a loud crash. Grunts and screams followed as he heard Demyx fighting to give him time. His roommate was more than capable of defending himself, and he searched around the room for a minute for something to fight with. He became a bit more desperate when the pounding got louder, coming from his own door. If worst came to worst, he could always chuck his textbooks at the thugs. At least Roxas got out alright...

He managed to find an old wooden baseball bat cluttered in the piles of junk under his bed, and he brought it up in a defensive stance just as his door was smashed off its hinges. Two burly looking men dressed in all black ran into the room, and once they saw Axel the taller one stepped toward him threateningly, his voice demanding. "Where is he, boy? We know you're hiding him, so hand him over! before I have to beat the shit outta you!"

The man charged him then, and Axel smirked a little as he sidestepped around the other man easily, the bat connecting with his face hard. He stumbled back, growling, and Axel motioned him forward mockingly, despite the anger blazing up inside him. "Come on, you stupid bastards! Come and get me! I could do this all day!" He was prepared to fight dirty, swearing that these assholes would be dead sooner than they could ever touch Roxas...

* * *

When he finally awoke his eyes were heavy and hazy. Roxas groaned as he felt the aches and bruises from when he had fallen; he was pretty sure he'd broken his leg, and he'd _definitely _hit his head hard. As he went to rub the growing bump he realized that he couldn't move his arms, and his eyes snapped open quickly in alarm.

He was lying on the grass and surrounded by tall, dark trees, but he wasn't where he'd landed after falling from the third story window. The night air was cool and mostly pleasant, but it still seemed dark and foreboding as he tried to register what had happened. He shivered as the wind blew past him, chilling him to the bone more than he knew it should. Hearing the roar of a passing car, he guessed that he wasn't too far from the road...but where was the apartment building? And where was Axel?

Roxas tried to sit up and get a better look, but his arms were firmly locked behind him; his wrists were bound by a thick, rough cord that dug into his skin and cut off the circulation. His fingers fumbled over the knots as he struggled to loosen them, but they had been expertly tied. Having no luck there, he gave up and simply tried to push himself up on his own. When he finally managed it, he looked around, lost and deeply confused.

"Where am I?"

"I see you're finally awake."

The boy froze, turning slowly around to face the voice. From under the shadow of a nearby tree stepped a silver-haired boy who was only a year or two older than him. He looked back at Roxas through icy blue eyes, and the younger boy paled as he finally recognized the voice.

"Y-You're that guy who came to the apartment that day...Riku!"

Riku smirked a little, approaching the boy until he stood towering over him.

"I'm flattered that you remembered. But I'm afraid we have to get going now."

Roxas could feel himself shaking now. "W-What are you going to do with me?"

"I'll tell you on the way. I'm sorry to say you'll be coming with me, whether you like it or not. "


	15. Chapter 15

Axel stumbled to the front door of the apartment, dragging a slightly limping Demyx with him. Both boys had taken quite a beating, but together they managed to disarm all the men who had attacked them that night. The idiots ran off back to their masters with their tales between their legs, leaving the place in shambles. But that didn't mean there couldn't be more of them lurking out there somewhere, so Axel kept his guard up.

He quickly snagged a few pictures of the place with the camera in his phone; just in case they ever needed pictorial evidence. All their stuff had been pretty trashed in the fight, and he'd be damned if he let S.I.G.E. get away with it scott-free......

But right now he was more worried about Roxas. Axel had pushed the boy out the window in a sudden fit of panic; he'd just been standing there staring at him like a moron even when Axel had made it clear he was in danger! But he still felt bad; it was a far drop to the ground, and he'd been too occupied to make sure the boy had gotten down okay.......

But Roxas had looked back at him, eyes slightly hurt and afraid, when he realized the red head wasn't coming with him. Axel only saw it for a split second, but it had still been there.

He sighed, setting Demyx down against the wall. Roxas was probably just as worried about him as _he_ was about the boy, and knowing the blond, he'd probably stuck around, afraid to leave his friends in danger. Roxas could be pretty thick and stubborn sometimes; he never listened to reason....

Demyx looked up at Axel, his left eye swollen and slightly purple. If the situation hadn't been so serious, it would have looked hilarious. "I'll be fine, Ax. Go make sure Roxas is okay. I bet he's pretty worried about you." Axel nodded seriously, trying to ignore the small blush that spread across his face. Demyx chuckled at him, despite his injuries, and Axel smacked him on the head for it, giving him another bruise he'd be feeling for a while. He groaned and whined, but Axel was already out the door and heading for the street.

Demyx sighed, and after a while he stood up shakily, pulling out his phone slowly as he did so. He dialed that all-too-familiar number and pressed "call", having to wait for only a few seconds before his call was answered, the voice on the other side gruff and raspy. "Demyx, this sure as hell better be worth waking me up. You _do _remember how to read the clock, don't you, little brother?"

The blond smiled as he spoke, the exhaustion clear in his tone. "Yeah, yeah, Xig. But listen, we had a bit of a situation here, and I think we're gonna need some back up......"

* * *

By the time he reached the front parking lot that led out to the main road, he needed to stop and take a breather. His injuries weren't serious, but he _was _pushing himself a little by running so hard. It couldn't be helped, though; Roxas was bound to be out here somewhere. He just hoped he was safe. Axel couldn't live with himself if something bad happened to him.

Axel called out his name a few times, but all he heard was the chirping of crickets and the echo of his calls as they bounced around in the forest behind the building. Suddenly he heard someone calling him."Axel!" The red head snapped his attention to the road, where he saw Sora sprinting over to him at full speed. By the time he'd reached him, Axel could tell that the boy had come all the way here on foot, which was no small feat.

"Axel! Hey, what happened to you? Where's Roxas?"

The older boy filled him in on the details as quickly as he could, and just as he finished, Sora looked at him frantically. "We need to go find Roxas now! Riku's out there looking for him, and my dad wouldn't tell me what he's planning to do!" He spoke the last words bitterly, still ashamed of all the problems his family had caused. And it _really was_ all his fault; everything started when his mother had died to protect him all those years ago.

"Well, come on then! We don't have time to just sit here and mope!" Sora nodded at him seriously, putting his self-pity aside. The two boys took off into the woods, calling out for Roxas and Riku as they ran deeper into the unknown darkness........

* * *

Riku rested with his back against one of the trees for a while before he decided it was time to get moving again. They'd stopped to take a short break, but he had no intention of being out here longer than he had to. He walked over to the spot where he'd left Roxas, only a short distance away, and he found the boy sitting on the ground quietly as he stared off into space, a hint of loneliness in his eyes.

"How you holding up, kid?"

The blond looked at him awkwardly. He seemed a little tired. "Okay, I guess. It doesn't seem to hurt as much as it did earlier.....But I'd feel even better if you'd untie me." He looked hopefully up at Riku then, but after a short silence the older boy chuckled and patted his head lightly. "Nice try. Now come on, it's time we got going."

Roxas had been right when he thought his leg was broken; it was painful for him to walk on it at all. Riku had given up after a while and took pity on the younger boy, carrying him as they made their way back in search of the old Toyota. He'd parked farther away from the building to attract less attention, not knowing exactly who Xemnas had sent out after Roxas, and it had taken him a while to get the boy as far as he had while he'd been unconscious. Roxas was pretty light for his age, but the fact that he couldn't walk on his own _did _slow them down a bit.

Roxas was silent in his arms, staring blankly around as they kept walking. He had let Riku carry him without much of a fuss, although he still felt awkward being in the arms of a total stranger, not to mention one who had terrified him earlier.

The older boy had explained that his orders were simply to bring him to Sora's father. Riku couldn't say exactly why, but he guessed it was so that the boy could be used as blackmail against S.I.G.E. Apparently, Leon clashed frequently with Xemnas over the years they had known each other.

But at least he wasn't going straight back to S.I.G.E., as he'd originally feared. Roxas sighed a little in relief, holding on to a slight twinge of hope that if he got to see Sora, he might have a chance to get out of this.

Sora would defend him, that much he knew. And maybe Riku would side with him; the older boy was obviously very close to Sora, despite their different personalities. Riku didn't seem like a bad person; he was just doing what he thought was right, and he'd been nice to the boy so far, all things considered. But Roxas's thoughts soon turned back to Axel, worrying about whether he and Demyx had gotten out safely. Even though they'd been seperated only a little while ago, he missed Axel....

He suddenly noticed that Riku was eyeing him curiously, puzzled by his expression. He blushed a little and looked away quickly, nervous under the other boy's stare, and Riku laughed a little. Roxas's face was adorably priceless, and pretty easy to read; he and Sora seemed to have that much in common. If circumstances had been different, Roxas might have made a perfect adopted brother for the energetic brunette. Then _he_ could've gotten dragged around on crazy little adventures, sparing Riku just a little from the headaches. The older boy smiled. They would have made a cute pair, sort of like Demyx and Xigbar when they were little....

He wasn't proud of himself for what he did to this poor boy; Roxas seemed like a nice enough kid, and the situation had never given him any real control over his own life, which wasn't fair at all. But he had to keep the promise he'd made back then, working with Leon to do whatever he had to do to protect Sora. The man had lost so much, and even now he still suffered greatly; Riku owed Leon, in more ways than he could count, and the least he could show him was loyalty and support. So Riku tried to stay focused on his mission, not wanting to get too attached to the boy. But their progress was slow, and the silence between them was becoming more than a little awkward.

Suddenly there came a rustling from the bushes nearby, and Riku stopped, surveying the area thoroughly. It was too quiet all of the sudden; even the crickets had gone silent. All he could hear was the light shifting of leaves in the wind, and that was making it harder to detect whoever was there with them. Riku glared around; he didn't like this feeling at all......

Roxas looked up at him, confused, as the older boy stood stone-still. He felt the grip around him tightening slightly. "Riku? What is it?"

Before he could answer, a tall figure suddenly emerged from the woods in front of them and approached slowly but purposefully. His haired glowed bright blue in the moonlight, and Riku's guard snapped up immediately. _Oh, fucking a. _This was the last person he wanted to see...

"Saix." The figure smiled maliciously, eyeing the frightened boy in Riku's arms with dark interest. "Long time no see, Riku."

The silver-haired boy glared at him dangerously, his icy eyes becoming sharp daggers as he held Roxas closer to him. The younger boy was shaking considerably now, his wide eyes fixed on Saix.

"What are you doing here? You don't usually seem like the type to get his hands dirty."

Saix chuckled at that, but his face slowly became more serious as he spoke. "Well, I'm here on personal business today; orders from Xemnas, you see. I'm simply here to take back what was stolen."

* * *

"I think he went that way!"

Axel glared at the younger boy, hunching over slightly as he caught his breath. "You said that the _last_ time we hit a fork in the path! And now _I _can't even tell where we are!"

Sora huffed and panted also, supporting himself against a nearby tree. _Why do all the trees have to look alike? _"Fine! You pick next, wise guy!"

But before the red head could retort, a sudden loud, heart-wrenching scream echoed around them, seeming to rattle the trees as it went. Axel's eyes widened in fear as he snapped into action, taking off in the direction of the sound with Sora quickly gaining on him. His injuries were bothering him more now, slowing his pace, but he didn't stop running. There was no mistake; that was Roxas.

* * *

"No! Stop it! Leave him alone!"

Roxas was terrified, his pleas becoming more and more desperate as he began to cry. But those pleas fell on deaf ears, and he hated how helpless he felt. He couldn't even save himself, let alone anyone else. "Let me go, dammit!"

Saix had a firm grip on his arms, and the boy struggled feebly as he was dragged backwards to where Riku lay a few feet away, only semi-conscious now. Saix smiling wickedly as he kicked the silver-haired boy repeatedly in the face and stomach, beating him within an inch of his life.

Riku coughed weakly as he tried to block the blows, but it was no use. Despite all his practice, he'd barely been able to touch Saix! But the man seemed to have no trouble hitting him, and he was entirely too strong.....

"I said stop it! You're hurting him!" Roxas fought against him with all his might, but Saix didn't even bat an eye. He must have irritated the man, though, because he was suddenly released and slapped hard in the face. The stinging impact sent him stumbling backwards onto his leg, which crumpled beneath him awkwardly as he fell. The boy screamed loudly in pain as his leg seemed to crack and bend even further out of place. He lay there on the ground, whimpering softly as Saix continued beating Riku.

"What a pathetic little fool you are. You dared to think you could threaten us?" He knelt down and grabbed Riku by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground and holding him just inches away from the man's face. Riku snarled weakly, fighting to keep Saix from choking him as his feet dangled helplessly in the air beneath him. Saix laughed at his feeble attempt. "Well, I have a little message for Leon, and I'll be civil and let you choose where and how I leave it. Should I break an arm or two, or...."

Roxas couldn't take it anymore. He choked out a sob, angry tears in his eyes."Please stop! I-I'll go with you without a fight! I'll do anything! Just please, leave him alone!"

Saix glared at the boy on the ground, but after a minute he sighed and dropped Riku carelessly before he turned to face Roxas. "Have it your way, boy."

* * *

Roxas whimpered a little when Saix walked over and dragged him roughly to his feet. He didn't want to give this man the satisfaction He could barely stand at this point, and the older man was getting more and more impatient with him. Saix's cold glare intensified, and he looked like he was about to raise his hand again. Roxas winced, preparing to be shoved or slapped again, but the blow never came...

"Roxas! ...Riku!"

The two of them watched as Sora came running through the woods. The brunette paled when he saw Riku, and he ran right to him, holding him in his arms and trying desperately to shake him awake. "Riku! Come on, Riku! Snap out of it!"

The brunette then glared at Saix, his blue eyes tearful but full of anger and hatred. Riku looked pretty bad from where he was standing, but Roxas could see him starting to wake up again, and he sighed a little with relief. He was overjoyed, though, when he saw a flash of red come running in passed Sora. Axel was here, and he was okay!

"Axel!" Roxas took a shaky step towards him, only to be pulled back hard against Saix as the man wrapped an arm tightly around his neck. He choked out a small yelp as he felt the arm crushing him, and couldn't help but feel a strange, almost sick sense of deja vu when he saw Saix's other hand reach into his coat, drawing out a small, sharp knife. _But it's no act this time. This guy means business......._

Axel growled angrily at the man holding Roxas, eyes narrowing at him in utter loathing as Saix brought the knife to the base of the boy's neck, smiling darkly. "That's far enough, gentlemen. Make any sudden moves, and your precious little friend is as good as dead....."


	16. Chapter 16

Sora helped Riku into a sitting position as the older boy rubbed his aching stomach gently, wincing in pain. The two of them watched the red head in front of them, trembling slightly as he glared Saix down. Riku had seen him get worked up the day they'd first met, but this was completely different. Every bone in Axel's body was poised to charge and strike in an instant. It was like he was a wild mountain ready to strike at his unsuspecting prey, and his cat-like green eyes added to the image perfectly. They shone brightly, full of hate and anger while barely masking his fear and concern. Had their confrontation escalated into a fight, Riku was certain that the red head would've given him a run for his money. But the silver-haired boy turned his attention back to Roxas, and he grimaced as he felt new aches; ones that were not tended so easily. How could he have been so stupid? How had he let this get so far out of hand?

Sora called out from beside him, his voice angry but desperate. "Let him go right now! I own his contract, and now I'm calling it off! So you can just leave him alone!"

Saix smiled back maliciously, tightening his hold around the the boy's neck. "I don't think so. You have no say in the matter whatsoever, boy. And even if your father would go back on the contract, it's far too late now." He turned his attention to Axel. "You two have had your fun, but now it's time for the game to end."

Roxas choked out a cough, wishing his hands were free so that he could try and push the arm away. He felt like his energy was being drained as Saix strangled him, and he slumped back a little against the man holding him up, cursing in his mind. He could feel the angry tears building in his eyes. _I fucking hate this...I can't do anything! Why won't these bastards just leave us alone?!_

Axel growled, his temper flaring. "Let him go now, Saix!" He took a hesitant step forward, but immediately regretted it when Saix ran the tip of the blade across Roxas's neck, barely grazing the skin but making him shudder lightly. "Saix!" Roxas coughed again, looking at Axel with such desperation that he felt his heart break at the sight. _I swear I'll make him pay for this!_

Saix's stare turned colder, his smile widening. "I have to say that your antics are indeed amusing. But, one way or another, he _is _going to die. It's your choice to watch it now, or never know what happens later."

Axel's response was loud and harsh. "Why?! Why are you doing this?! I swear we'll stay out of you business. I've almost got the plane tickets; we'll just go and you won't have to worry about us bothering you again. So why can' t you just leave him alone?!"

But before he could answer, a figure came out of the woods from the right, standing a good distance away but facing the group. "Because it's too much of a risk to leave him alive." The man's eyes glinted as he gestured toward Roxas. "He was a particularly costly investment, which is rather unfortunate. But he's become quite a dangerous liability. In fact, _all of you _know too much to be allowed to live."

The blue-haired man looked over, a little surprised, and there was a slight undertone of annoyance when he spoke. "Xemnas, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be moving around out in the open, and besides, I'm taking care of your orders just fine."

The other man smiled at him. "I appreciate your concern, Saix, but I seriously doubt that we have anything to fear from those three. I simply wanted the pleasure of watching them be punished. Besides, it's been so long since I've had to call out the A team, and they could really use some exercise. " With a small gesture of his hand, another group of large men wearing all black, similar to the ones that had fought Axel and Demyx earlier, appeared. There had to be about six of them, and four of them began to surround the boys, obscuring Saix and Roxas from view.

Axel growled again, eyes narrowing as he watched the men move closer. Riku was obviously out of commission, and Sora didn't look like much of a fighter, so he guessed he was on his own.

But Sora stood up and walked up beside him, despite Riku's weak protests. The brunette glared around at the men as he spoke, taking a fighting stance. "I can fight; don't worry about me. Riku isn't he only one who learned to fight when we were kids. Just keep your guard up." The red head smiled a little, eyes also watching their movements closely. "Speak for yourself, squirt." And with that, the two charged, fighting madly to defend themselves and save their friend.

* * *

Xemnas watched the battle with a smile of satisfaction on his face. Even if those fools managed to beat these guards, he had a second group waiting to strike, a mile away. This is what happened to all who dared to get in his way, and he put all further doubt from his mind as his thoughts turned back to Ansem. He wouldn't let anyone destroy what he had worked so hard for all these years. No, this was truly for the best.....

He looked over to Saix. "I'll handle this. Those two will help you take the boy back. There will be a small van waiting for you just up the road." Saix nodded back at him, understanding, and spoke quickly as he motioned the two guards over to him. "Just watch yourself, Xemnas."

Saix let go of the boy, allowing one of the guards to take his shoulders while the other moved to his legs. Roxas thrashed desperately, struggling as best he could. He cringed and yelped a little when the second guard grabbed his legs roughly, obviously paying no attention to his injury. "No! Let me go! Axel! Help me!"

The red head snapped his attention to Roxas immediately, as he was finishing one man with a solid kick to the face. He cursed when he saw the guards carry him off, and he shrieked after them in annoyance. "Hey! Get your sorry asses back here! I'm not through with you yet!" Not wanting to lose sight of them, he gave chase immediately, leaving a slightly aggravated Sora to finish the fight himself.

* * *

The brunette panted heavily as he stopped to catch his breath. There was blood on his knuckles from where he had broken one man's nose, and among other things he was sure there was a large bruise on his back from when one of the men had slammed him into a tree. He wanted to go after Axel, but he stood up smiling slightly, despite the pain. He'd be the worst jerk ever to leave his injured boyfriend out here alone.

The trees around him spun a little as he tried to regain his bearings, searching for other threats. But suddenly Riku shouted frantically behind him. "Sora, watch out!" Oh, yeah. He'd almost forgot about......

He turned quickly just in time to find Xemnas right next to him, and as he stumbled back in surprise the man's hand shot out and grabbed his throat tightly, winding him.

Riku was struggling to push himself up as Sora clawed at Xemnas's hands, but the older man was stronger and wouldn't let up. His chokehold only intensified.

"Foolish boy. You have a strangely large death wish, considering how far your father went to protect you. It's good to see that all his work, time, and money went to good use." Sora cringed at the sarcasm, but right now he had to put all of his focus into fighting the vice grip Xemnas had on him. It was getting harder and harder to think straight as the air wasn't flowing, though he could register Riku's desperate cries behind him. He closed his eyes unwillingly, afraid this was the end. _Sorry, Riku....and Dad......_

But suddenly Xemnas was knocked to the side, and Sora fell to the ground, coughing and heaving a little. When he opened his eyes and looked up, he saw a large force of police officers moving through the woods, being led by a tall, thin man with.......an eye-patch?

Riku blinked in surprise at first, but then he smiled with relief as he tried to stand up, slowly and painfully. "Xigbar. What the hell took you so long? And how'd you get all these guys out here?"

The older man smiled at him as he reached out his hand and helped Riku up, letting the boy rest against his shoulder as they watched the officer who'd tackled Xemnas cuff him. "I did some dangerous work for them earlier and they owed me a pretty bug favor, so I figured I'd use it. And this particular situation seemed to require a lot of backup. But as for how I got tipped off about S.I.G.E., you can thank Demyx later."

Riku sighed, shaking his head a little. Xigbar had a vast number of interesting connections; he wouldn't even ask. Maybe it was better not to know, and just be grateful that things hadn't been a lot worse. All that mattered now was that Xemnas was off of Sora, and he was going to pay for his crimes. _But damn it! Now I owe Demyx a huge favor....._ Despite himself, Riku smiled.

Xemnas fought against them bitterly, yelling in anguish and frustration as all he had sought crumbled down around him. How had this happened? he couldn't even fathom it.

"I swear you'll all pay for this! You have no idea what you've done! " But soon enough, he was gone, crying out in anger in the distance as his voice slowly faded away,

The brunette had caught his breath finally, and he ran over to them as fast as he could. He pointed in the direction he'd seen Axel go, half talking to Xigbar and half to the police. "Quick, you need to send some guys out that way. They couldn't have gotten too far yet, and Axel's going to need help!"

* * *

Axel finally caught up with the men as they ran through the woods, and Saix eventually stopped and turned to face him. He motioned to the guards. "Give him to me. We have a little pest to take care of first."

They passed Roxas back over to him before turning back to fight Axel. The boy grunted indignantly; he hated being carried and tossed around like a sack of potatoes, and his leg still throbbed painfully as he was forced to lean on it awkwardly in Saix's hold. He watched the battle helplessly, constantly worrying about Axel. The red head had been fighting for so long with all of those injuries. Looking at the black and purple marks exposed on his arms and torso, Roxas felt extremely guilty; it was all his fault this had happened.....

The red head was seriously weary and achy now, but his resolve never weakened, fighting until both men were beaten senseless. He was going to get Roxas back, no matter what.....

He made pretty quick work of his attackers, though now he was decently winded and tired, panting heavily as he glared at Saix.

The blue haired man sighed. "It's so hard to find good help these days. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to settle this right here and now, won't we?"

He smiled again, but it was a little different from his usual smirk. It gave Axel a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he was preparing himself to charge again. The blue-haired man grabbed Roxas's chin and looked at his face with an expression that was mocking yet curious, the blond growling slightly at his hold. "I never understood your attraction to this thing before. He's only an experiment after all, a product of science that has been throughly altered from his natural self. Why would you defend him, when it would be so much easier to leave him be and move on with your own life?"

Axel glared at him, snapping back. "Roxas _is_ my life. He's not just some experiment; he's just as human as anyone else! He's not just my best friend, he's-"

But the red head bit back his last words, afraid of revealing something so personal. The other man was just toying with him, baiting to see what would get a rise out of him so he could turn around and use it against him.

Saix just laughed; it was clear he already knew too much, and it seemed to amuse him to no end. He released Roxas' chin, moving his hand instead to run his fingers through his hair, the boy flinching slightly at his touch. "How sentimental. Well, I admire your resolve, so how about I make you a little deal? If you can swallow your pride and beg me for his life, I'll release him and give him back to you."

The red head gawked at his offer. There was no way it could be that simple; he must have something planned! But Axel didn't see another option right now; the man had a knife and a firm grip on his friend, and he seemed to have no problem exploiting the situation.

Axel tried desperately to think of another way for a few minutes, but his attention jerked back to the two across from him as the hand on Roxas's head suddenly balled into a fist. Saix grabbed a fistful of the blond's hair, causing him to whimper slightly, and pulled his head roughly up so that he was looking right at him.

The red head flinched when he looked into those eyes. Behind the surface anger, he saw the underlying fear in Roxas's eyes; that look that he'd seen so many times before, but never so potent as it was now. It was the look of being so utterly alone and scared, helpless to stop what was happening even though he was right there. Axel wanted to hold him, comfort him, anything that could make that look go away; it wasn't befitting at all, and he hated it. But Roxas was still in danger, and Axel had to save him from that first before he could save him from himself.

"Well, don't keep me waiting all day, Axel. Or would you prefer that I killed him right now?" Roxas snarled and struggled weakly but Saix ignored his protests, slowly drawing his knife back out in plain sight and smiling at Axel with slightly raised eyebrows. The man clearly meant his threat, and he was growing more and more impatient......

Axel scowled in response but he slowly lowered to his knees on the ground, changing his expression from one of anger to desperation. But the hatred was still seething in his eyes. "Please.....please let him go." The words came out awkwardly, and he hated having to beg to someone so low and despicable. But he wanted to protect Roxas, and see that bright, beautiful smile that always made him feel so glad to be alive.......

Saix seemed satisfied enough, smiling cruelly back. "Good boy. Well, I suppose a deal is a deal."

He loosened his hold on Roxas and brought his knife out to cut his hands free slowly. The blond rubbed his wrists gingerly, wincing at the gashes where the cord had dug into his skin. He glared back at the man behind him, just aching to land a good punch to Saix's face for all he'd done; even if he did feel hurt and weary, the blond had enough pent-up anger to give all of S.I.G.E. a piece of his mind!

He decided against it, though, not wanting to push his luck while he was still in a vulnerable position. Instead he looked ahead as Axel stood up, his friend's glare was slowly changing to a look of relief, although he still looked tense and poised to attack. Axel obviously didn't trust Saix's promise, but by now Roxas had already let his guard drop, ready to be back with him. He was ready to be back home; hell, he even wanted to see Demyx!

He just felt so tired.....

"You can have him back now." The words sounded strange to him, and he felt suddenly alarmed as the look on Axel's face distorted in front of him.

* * *

Roxas's eyes widened as he heard the sudden, sickening slice of metal through flesh, and he cried out as the knife was pulled from his stomach. Something warm and dark beginning to flow, and he felt a sharp pain beyond anything he could have ever imagined. Then, nothing. Just a chilled numbness as the world seemed to freeze around him.......

Axel watched in horror, completely speechless as Saix quickly stabbed Roxas in the stomach with his knife, before shoving the boy roughly and carelessly toward him. He soon found his voice, though, as he charged forward to help his friend. "NO!"

He managed to catch him before he hit the ground, though it was a quick jump-dive which slammed him into the ground, his muscles aching in response. Axel turned the boy over in his arms frantically, the color in his face draining in horror at the sight of the knife wound. Roxas was quickly turning pale, his skin cold and clammy as he coughed up blood. Axel took his face in his hands, desperately calling out to the blond to get him to stay conscious.

"Roxas! Roxas, hold on!"

The boy whimpered in response, his bright blue hazy as he looked weakly back at Axel. His breath was coming in harsh, short gasps now, and he panicked a little as his vision began to blur, accompanied by a heaviness that seemed to push him towards sleep....

Saix watched from a few feet away, slowly growing bored as he listened to Axel's cries. The red head ignored him; he worked quickly to force Roxas's shirt off and pressed it into the wound, trying to stop the blood. He then tore his own shirt to use as a make-shift bandage; Roxas's was already a dark crimson only after a few minutes.

Axel finished covering the wound as best he could before he turned to glare at Saix wildly, cradling the younger boy in his arms. His voice cracked slightly, a mix of heart-break and pure, flaming fury."WHY?! WHY DID YOU STAB HIM! ANSWER ME!"

The man shrugged casually. " I told you I'd give him back, but I also promised you that he would die tonight, in one way or another. I'm never a man to go back on my word. But now-"

Before he could finish, a large group of police officers swarmed out of the trees, surrounding them instantly. Several of them move between Axel and Saix, pointing their guns at him threateningly as they watched his every move. Others came to Axel's side, offering what little they had to help his friend.

Saix glared around angrily, but it was too late to try and get out of this now. It was best now to simply wait and watch; there would be time to recover and recalculate later. Thus planning, he put his hands up and surrendered without a fight, already thinking through how best to salvage the situation and what dignity he and Xemnas could retain.

But as he was led away, he smiled over his shoulder maliciously at Axel, who still fought to save the wounded boy in his arms. His voice was cold and harsh, jabbing at Axel painfully for the years of work that he'd throughly foiled, with the one and only thing Saix knew could break him. "I wish the both of you happiness, since you don't have much time left to enjoy it. I look forward to seeing you both again in the deepest pits of hell. Farewell."

* * *

"Roxas!"

Sora walked slowly onto the scene, Riku leaning on his shoulder and stumbling along. They'd both frozen when they saw Axel and Roxas in the middle of the group of policemen. Xigbar came up beside them, sighing gruffly and shaking his head as if trying to shake off an annoying headache. "We've called for the emergency team to bring an ambulance, but we don't have a medic here right now to treat him properly. Geez, what a pain. I tried to warn Axel......."

Riku looked up at the older man sadly. "You don't think the team will get here in time." It sounded more like a fact than a question, and Sora looked frantically between them and then back to Roxas. He shook his head wildly. "No! He has to be alright! If he needs anything at all, I'll gladly give it."

Riku blinked at his boyfriend, surprised by his offer. The brunette returned his gaze, smiling sadly as he explained. "It was what he would have had to do for me, whether he wanted to or not, right? But now that I've met him, I know that he would offer whatever I would have needed willingly. It's just the kind of person he is, and I owe him so much for all that's happened....." The silver-haired boy continued to stare at him, but his face slowly smiled back. Sora was always very childish and goofy, but he had grown to be so strong since they were little. He had a good sense of justice, and he could summon his courageous or serious side whenever it was needed. Riku felt a new sense of respect for his love, but now was not the time for compliments. Not when their friend lay dying before them, and the one he loved most was being crushed by the deepening weight of despair....

The officers had brought food and other various supplies with them, but Axel was too worried to eat or tend his injuries. Right now he was doing what he could to keep Roxas conscious, afraid that the boy nestled in his arms would slip away without a familiar face and voice to anchor him. He'd almost prevented anyone else coming near them at first, until Xigbar had snapped him out of his daze. With a smarting smack on the head, but again, he ignored the pain......

"Roxas, you have to stay with me! Just hold on until the ambulance gets here, okay?!"

Roxas opened his eyes slowly. His expression was fearful and lonely, obviously searching for Axel with unseeing eyes. His voice was small and quiet, barely above a whisper. ".....Axel? You..there?"

Axel's heart wrenched a little at that voice, but he reached out and took one of the boy's hands, squeezing it gently to assure him. His own voice was shaky with fear and worry, but he tried to keep it level for the sake of his friend. "Yeah, Roxas. I'm right here. How're you feeling?"

He realized how stupid that question sounded only after it left his lips, and he choked back a small sob as he tried to keep himself calm. The blond smiled weakly at the direction of the familiar voice, reaching a hand up slowly to Axel's face. He found it after a few failed attempts, stoking the red head's cheek softly. "I can't see, Axel.....It's too dark, and I feel kinda dizzy.....But I'm glad....you came after all."

Axel held his hand tighter, shaking his head a little as he felt the tears coming to his eyes. 'Of course I came, Roxas! You didn't think, after all that's happened, I would just abandon you? I only wanted you to be safe! Now don't talk; you have to save your strength." He took a cloth that one of the officers had given him and began cleaning the blood away from Roxas's mouth. The boy coughed more up in response, and as the fits became more intense, Axel shook him slightly in panic. "Roxas! Come on, I need you to stay with me! The ambulance is almost here, do you hear it?! Please! You're so close!"

Roxas heard a faint sound in his ears, which was probably the siren approaching. But his senses were dimming considerably, and he gazed up at the darkness sadly, wishing he could see his friend more clearly. All that was there was a blur of red, and he desperately wanted to see Axel's face; he wanted the older boy to hold him, kiss him one more time. The numb heaviness was growing around him, and his eyes fluttered a little as he spoke. "I'm so tired, Axel........"

The red head looked down at him frantically, taking the boy's face in his hands as he tried to find the light of life in his eyes. The blond sighed a little, barely feeling the warm touch against his cold skin. "No, Roxas! Just stay awake a little longer!" He called over his shoulder for help, standing up and lifting the boy with him. He held him gently, afraid of causing the wound to bleed faster, and began moving quickly but carefully toward the sound of the ambulance. The others followed behind him, Sora and Riku bringing up the rear slowly, as he spoke soothingly to the blond.

"Don't leave me, Roxas! It'll be fine! You just have to stay strong! I know you can!" The boy had gripped Axel's shirt tightly as he ran, but his hold was weakening, and Axel could feel Roxas's entire body slowly going limp in his arms.

Roxas coughed again, the last of his consciousness slowly fading to black. "I love you, Axel...."

The red head choked back his sob again, the tears in his eyes flowing uncontrollably as looked down at the boy. "Stop talking like this is the end, dammit!.... Roxas, please! Please don't go! We're almost there!"

But the boy didn't respond, and although Axel could feel a light pulse barely fluttering against his chest, he knew Roxas was spent. He was almost completely limp in his arms now. It would have looked like a deep, peaceful sleep if not for the ghostly color of his skin and the drops of blood that flowed from his stomach, which in turn stained Axel, his clothes turning red like his hair.

Axel looked up and saw the medics running to meet him, motioning him to the road where the ambulance sat waiting; its engine still sputtering, ready to take off in a heartbeat. He kept on running, praying to God that they wouldn't be too late.


	17. Chapter 17

Axel rode with Roxas in the back of the ambulance, watching silently as the medical team tended to his friend. He felt like he was sitting on broken glass though; he'd never felt so scared in all of his life. By the time they'd reached the hospital, he was too jumpy to sit down for long. The nurses directed him to another room where his cuts and bruises were fixed up, and then he and Riku were sent to the waiting room.

Sora went to the operating room to see what he could do to help. After a long while of sitting in silence, Riku sighed. "Don't stress about it, Axel. It won't help Roxas, and it definitely won't help you."

Axel glared at him slightly, even though he was grateful to the other boy for breaking up his thoughts. "How can I not freak out?! There was so much blood, and he....." The red head cut off there, shaking a little as he remembered the hopeless look in Roxas's eyes. He couldn't stand it when the boy had talked to him like that, sounding like he was fine with dying.......

Riku sighed again, moving to stand up stiffly. "I'm not saying it's easy, but that it would help if you tried to relax a little. Roxas is with skilled doctors now, and Sora's offered to give him blood and tissue to mend his stomach. All we can do now is wait, and hope for the best. I have faith that the kid can pull through; he's pretty tough." He walked to the window and looked out thoughtfully, falling silent again.

Axel just stared at his knees. He knew Riku was right, but he was just too worried. What would it be like to wake up in the morning without Roxas there to greet him? He needed that smiling face, those sparkling blue eyes, so hopeful and full of promise. They made him feel like he could do anything, and Axel loved him so much......

Suddenly the door opened and Sora came into the room, looking more than a little groggy and tired. Axel jumped up from his seat a little as he entered, looking at him for answers. "Well, what is it?! Is he....."

The brunette sighed a little, but smiled at him. "He'll be fine. They were able to fix him up alright; now he's just resting. You can go see him now, if you want." But Axel was already half-way through the door by then, hurrying down the hall. He stopped suddenly, looking back at Sora with a look of slight confusion and embarrassment.

Sora sighed again, smiling and motioning with his finger. "It'll be the last room on the left." The red head blushed a little, but he smiled, thanking Sora before he turned and kept walking. The door fell closed behind him, and Sora walked over to the couch and fell down with a thud.

Riku walked back over to the couch slowly, sitting down beside the brunette and putting his arm around his shoulder. Sora leaned against him, smiling despite his fatigue, and Riku kissed him softly. "You're a good kid, Sora. I love you." The boy snuggled closer to him, falling asleep as he spoke. "Love you too, Riku. You feeling better?"

The silver haired boy smiled, patting his head lightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's good to know Roxas will be alright. I gave your father a call a little while ago, so he should be here so-" He stopped when he heard the light snoring beside him. There was no point in talking now, and he just stretched out on the couch and waited, enjoying the peaceful silence. He never did like hospitals, but today he was willing to ignore it. Sora was cute when he was sleeping; he looked so harmless then. That was the only thing that made it worth it. Riku sighed and smiled, kissing Sora's forehead before he laid back further to get some sleep himself. "Good night, Sora."

* * *

Weird pictures and indiscernible sounds were all he could process as he drifted in and out of a restless, painful sleep. The numbness was gone, and instead he felt various pains throughout his body. He thought he heard familiar voices once or twice, and he reached out to them desperately, afraid of being so alone. _Where is Axel? Please.... please let me see Axel......_

When he finally opened his eyes, which he knew immediately were full of tears, his vision came back slow and fuzzy. It was shadowy and dream-like, but at least he could see a little now; nothing was so terrifying as the crushing, quiet darkness. It was like falling to the bottom of the ocean; cold, quiet, and overwhelmingly lonely......

But as he slowly processed the white walls around him, he panicked immediately and began to thrash weakly. Someone grabbed his arms and tried to hold him down, but that only made him struggle more, and he shut his eyes and cried out. "No! Let me go!"

"Roxas! It's alright! It's just me!" His eyes snapped open, clearer this time, to find Axel holding him tightly and looking down at him with frightened eyes.

"Axel?" He relaxed a little as the red head let him go, and he pushed the tears back as best he could before he tried to sit up. He groaned when he felt the pangs of stiffness and soreness all over his body, and Axel pushed him back down gently but firmly before moving to adjust his pillow. "Yeah, it's me. Now don't try to move around too much. You're still recovering...."

Roxas looked around slowly, the apprehension building in his voice. "W-where are we?"

Axel sat down on the bed beside him, stroking his head softly as he spoke. "Relax, kid. We're just at the hospital. See, after we chased off the guys who attacked the apartment last night, Demyx must have called Xigbar for help. He showed up after you were stabbed and called an ambulance."

Roxas looked down and checked underneath his hospital clothes. There was a bandage across the full length of his stomach, and he put a hand over it gently as he tried to remember. Suddenly he look back at Axel, eyes widened a little. "And S.I.G.E.?"

The red head shook his head, smiling. "Don't worry. Thank to Xigbar, we've got their two main men in custody. It's only a matter of time til they get interrogated, and you're more than enough proof to warrant a lengthy investigation. They'll get what's coming to them."

The boy leaned back further, sighing with relief. After a short silence, he looked back at Axel, his eyes tired and curious. "How am I still here? I thought I was-"

The older boy put a finger to his lips, looking at him seriously. "Shhh....You're fine now. They sewed you back up with some blood and tissue that Sora offered." He looked surprised at that, and Axel shook his head a little, sighing a little. "Don't think about it too much. The kid was willing to help, and I owe him big for this one. Just focus on getting some rest and feeling better, alright?"

Roxas stared up at the ceiling for a while, closing his eyes and enjoying the quiet. The room made him feel uncomfortable, but as long as Axel was there, he felt a little better. Yet again, everything seemed to happen so quickly, and his mind was still trying to catch up.

After a while, he looked over at Axel again, his eyes tearful again. "Axel......I'm sorry." The red head looked at him, puzzled, so he continued. "I'm sorry I scared you. I was scared too.......I thought I was going to die. But I didn't want you to see me cry about it; I knew that wouldn't help...."

Axel looked at him seriously, searching his eyes. "Rox, what you said at the time didn't exactly help either. I thought I was going to cry when you looked at me like that....."

Roxas looked down quickly, slowly remembering his words. He felt so guilty now; he always made Axel worry, and this time he could really see the hurt behind his green eyes......

He looked up slowly, too ashamed to fully face his friend. "Ax, I so sor-" But he was stopped suddenly as Axel's lips captured his own. The red head lifted his head to pull him closer, wrapping his arms around him gently. Roxas blinked at him in surprise, but he slowly closed his eyes and melted into the kiss, letting all his emotions go as he cried.

After a while, Axel leaned back and stroked Roxas's face, wiping away the tears with his thumb. He looked into those bright blue eyes that always seemed to pierce straight into his soul, and smiled a little. "it doesn't mater now. What matters is that you're okay. Now try to get some rest." The boy nodded, and after a brief pause and a small blush, Axel added, "I love you, Roxas."

The blond blinked, and then a bright smile spread across his face. He leaned back to sleep, smiling at the red head. "I love you too, Axel......"

* * *

It was a couple of days later that Roxas was released from the hospital. Leon came by his room with Sora and Riku, and he apologized profusely for all that had happened. He broke down and cried at one point, feeling so ashamed of what he'd had a hand in causing. Sora and Riku stood by watching him solemnly, and Axel left to give them some privacy; this was a matter for Roxas to deal with on his own.

Roxas gladly accepted Leon's apology, although he was a little uncomfortable when the man insisted he help to make up for it. There was no way he could ever really make up for it, but the man wanted to offer him a chance at the life he wanted. The blond insisted that nothing was necessary, that money was nice, but it didn't buy happiness. But Leon wouldn't take no for an answer, and with a heavy sigh Roxas accepted his help and thanked him. The heck with it; at least he could be more useful to Axel now. He could help pay for those tickets the red head had been working on snagging...

By the next month, S.I.G.E. had been officially investigated and taken down. Vexen was the only one who caught wind of the trouble and fled before the crash, destroying some crucial evidence linking him to the operation; all who remained were arrested and questioned. The old man was nowhere to be found, but the police promised to catch him at all costs.

Xemnas and Saix were sentenced to life in prison, and there was tremendous press coverage on the trials. Roxas agreed to testify against them, and he visited the halls of S.I.G.E. for the last time to walk the jury members through his experience. It was strange, and painful, but Axel came with him that day and helped him get through it......

* * *

It was quieter and darker than usual as he wandered the familiar halls, now completely devoid of people. This time, Roxas was on a personal mission, and he went straight to his room to dig out the box from under his bed. He found the books he could finally return to Axel, but he pulled out a very important book and immediately went to the R wing, stepping out into the strange, fake room once more.

He'd managed to salvage Namine's sketchbook before it could be confiscated, and now he set it beneath the big Aspen tree. The tree was still growing beautifully, virtually unchanged despite the time that had passed, and as he rolled a leaf absently between his fingers, he remembered Namine's words from that day with a sad smile.

_Isn't it pretty? I love this tree in particular. It's called an Aspen tree. It apparently symbolizes determination and over coming fear and doubt. It's also said that as long as the roots survive, even fire can't completely destroy it._

The Aspen tree glowed with a new light in his eyes now, and Roxas silently kneeled at its base as he lit a small candle he'd brought with him that day.

He'd never gotten a chance to properly mourn his friend, and tears fell slowly as cried now. It was too late to save her, and it was so unfair that he'd gotten away, especially so soon after she'd died. Sora had told him that his friend Kairi, the one who held Namine's contract, had been in a state of shock when she learned about how she'd survived the accident. Roxas bore no ill will toward her; after all, she was as ignorant at the time as Sora had been. But he still missed his friend, and now was his chance to give her a good send off. In his heart he felt that Namine had deserved so much better than this, but this was the best he could offer......

Axel waited patiently for him, leaning against the wall nearby as his friend cried softly. This room was so unpleasantly familiar to them both, just like the rest of S.I.G.E., but it held some good memories along with the bad. Times that neither of them would ever, nor could ever, forget.

He gave Roxas a while to mourn, realizing that this was more closure that the younger boy needed before he could begin to move on with his life. Axel then walked over slowly, placing a hand tentatively on his shoulder. "Roxas. It's time for us to get going, kid."

After a moment of silence, the blond sighed heavily, taking the sketchbook in his hand as he stood and faced Axel. He was ready to leave this miserable place behind him forever.

"Don't you need to put that candle out?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, let it burn out on its own. That's the whole idea. Besides, it can't hurt the tree."

The red head shot him a slightly puzzled look. "How do you know that?" The boy sighed lightly this time, a sad smile on his face. "I just know."

* * *

One month later:

Roxas opened his eyes and rolled over to gaze at Axel. The red head looked like he was sleeping, but he could see that the older boy was awake. It was a cooler night, and the covers were drawn up over them as they together slept in Axel's bed. Soft moonlight crept through the open window and glowed pale against Axel's back, his face and front shrouded in shadow. Roxas absently trailed his fingers up and down Axel's arm, which was wrapped around his waist and holding him tightly against him.

Axel didn't open his eyes, but he reached out with his other hand to stroke the boy's cheek. "What's on your mind, kid?"

Roxas closed his eyes and faced the ceiling, sighing. "Nothing much. I just can't sleep. Maybe I'm just too excited to try and sleep."

Axel leaned over to kiss his neck softly, chuckling as the boy began to sigh and moan softly with pleasure. "You stress about stuff too much. You gotta learn to loosen up and let what will happen happen. Got it memorized?"

Roxas smiled and blinked back at him between kisses, feeling slightly dizzy at Axel's touch. _How does he do that?! It's like he knows it makes me act crazy! _"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry."

Axel pulled him closer and spoke gently in his ear. "Don't apologize, kid, and don't worry. It'll be great, Rox. You just have to learn not to shy away from something just because it's unfamiliar. Sometimes the greatest things in life are the ones you weren't sure of at first. Trust yourself, kid, and you'll find your way just find. That's my motto, and I'm doing just fine."

Roxas eyes widened a little as he thought about it, looking back at Axel's smiling face. After a few minutes he sighed and smiled, snuggling closer to the older boy and laying his head against his arm. "Thank, Ax."

The red head took the boy's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. He grinned wildly. "Well, just in case you're still too anxious to sleep, I think I know how to take your mind off tomorrow."

"Wha-" It was a stupid question, but he got a great answer. Axel's lips crushed against his own suddenly, his hands caressing him gently even as they pushed him down into the bed. Roxas opened his mouth and closed his eyes, his floating dizziness tripling as Axel's tongue slipped in. He shuddered lightly at the touch as his mind instantly cleared; suddenly nothing seemed to bother him now, just like Axel'd said.

The more he thought about it, something that had once been so strange and frightening to him _had _turned out to be one of the best things in his life now. By overcoming that doubt, he'd found Axel, and through him he'd learned so much more about the world and himself. That was something he would always keep in his heart, and he would never let self-doubt hold him back again.

Axel leaned back out of the kiss, laughing when Roxas tried to suppress a whine of disappointment. He gazed at the boy panting softly beneath him, already pretty sure of what he would say. But he wanted had to ask. "Are you sure you're fine with this, Rox?"

Roxas smiled at him, nodding with a slight blush. "Of course, Axel, as long as it's with you. I love you....." The red head grinned, slowly leaning down to kiss him again as he let his passion and desire take over. "I love you too."

* * *

Axel woke up abruptly when he heard Demyx knocking loudly at his door. "Hey, Ax! Roxy! You guys better get your lazy asses up soon, or you might miss your plane!" His eyes snapped to the alarm clock instantly. _Shit! How could I have forgotten to set the alarm?! _

The red head jumped out of bed and walked over to the door, throwing on his clothes as Demyx called through the door, poking fun at him. "Busy night, Axel?" He was threatening to open the door, slowly but surely.

The red head blushed madly, glad that Demyx couldn't see it. But he could just imagine Demyx's expression right now as the door was slowly being opened. Axel kicked it shut again roughly as he ran around the room throwing last-minute things into his suitcase. "Shut up, Demyx! You're such a creepy perv, you know that? We'll be out in twenty minutes, alright? Just go away!"

The older blond seemed satisfied; Axel was too fun to torment. He'd miss both him and Roxas when they were gone, but not the late-night 'activities' as much, he thought as he laughed to himself. Not that he'd heard them or anything.....

Calling back through the door, Demyx's voice was practically sing-song as he walked off. "That's a fine way to treat the one who's giving you a ride! But okay, I'll be waiting in the car! And don't forget, Sora and Riku said they'd meet up with us at the airport to see you off, so be sure to text them soon, would ya?"

Axel shook his head, and put a hand on Roxas's bare shoulder, shaking the sleeping boy awake gently. "Rox...Get up, kid. We need to get going."

The blond blinked up at him hazily and smiled, clearly worn out from the previous night. He groaned out a greeting, turning back over to sleep. "Mmmm....Mornin, Axel.....Be up in a second." Axel smiled and went back to his packing, running out after a few minutes to grab something quick and easy for breakfast.

As he yawned and stretched stiffly, Roxas gazed out the window to see the red-orange glow of sunrise creeping over the trees and smiled. Suddenly, he wasn't afraid anymore. He wanted so badly to see the world and all that he'd missed growing up, and he and Axel could explore it freely to their hearts' content now. It would be new and strange, but recent experience now taught him to look forward to each new day and enjoy it as if it were his last. He smiled at the glorious color of the sun, so vibrant and beautiful compared to the cold, dark blankness of white. Only in the world of color and light could he finally be able to live free.........

* * *

As sort of of a LittleKuriboh joke, "it is heavily implied that Axel was getting some action." Lol, can't write stuff like that and won't try, but I won't begrudge you your imagination. I'll say it now proudly: bishi love=win. :) Hope you liked this story. Reviews are still helpful, even though it be done. And I swear not to touch this anymore once it's posted. Brainstorming a funny co-op with a friend still, will definitely let you know.......


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